The family is the priviledged setting where every person learns to give and receive love. It is a unique good for children, who are meant to be the fruit of the love, of the total and generous self-giving of their parents. "O God who in the Holy Family left us a perfect model of family life lived in faith and obedience to your will, help us to be examples of faith and love for your commandments." Pope Benedict XVI
The Lessons of Nazareth
Pope Paul VI
"Nazareth is a kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ’s life was like and even to understand his Gospel. Here we can observe and ponder the simple appeal of the way God’s Son came to be known, profound yet full of hidden meaning. And gradually we may even learn to imitate him.
Here we can learn to realise who Christ really is. And here we can sense and take account of the conditions and circumstances that surrounded and affected his life on earth: the places, the tenor of the times, the culture, the language, religious customs, in brief, everything which Jesus used to make himself known to the world. Here everything speaks to us, everything has meaning. Here we can learn the importance of spiritual discipline for all who wish to follow Christ and to live by the teachings of his Gospel.
How I would like to return to my childhood and attend the simple yet profound school that is Nazareth! How wonderful to be close to Mary, learning again the lesson of the true meaning of life, learning again God’s truths. But here we are only on pilgrimage. Time presses and I must set aside my desire to stay and carry on my education in the Gospel, for that education is never finished. But I cannot leave without recalling, briefly and in passing; some thoughts I take with me from Nazareth.
First, we learn from its silence. If only we could once again appreciate its great value. We need this wonderful state of mind, beset as we are by the cacophony of strident protests and conflicting claims so characteristic of these turbulent times. The silence of Nazareth should teach us how to meditate in peace and quiet, to reflect on the deeply spiritual, and to be open to the voice of God’s inner wisdom and the counsel of his true teachers. Nazareth can teach us the value of study and preparation, of meditation, of a well-ordered personal spiritual life, and of silent prayer that is known only to God.
Second, we learn about family life. May Nazareth serve as a model of what the family should be. May it show us the family’s holy and enduring character and exemplify its basic function in society: a community of love and sharing, beautiful for the problems it poses and the rewards it brings, in sum, the perfect setting for rearing children – and for this there is no substitute.
Finally, in Nazareth, the home of a craftsman’s son, we learn about work and the discipline it entails. I would especially like to recognise its value – demanding yet redeeming – and to give it proper respect. I would remind everyone that work has its own dignity. On the other hand, it is not an end in itself. Its value and free character, however, derive not only from its place in the economic system, as they say, but rather from the purpose it serves.
In closing, may I express my deep regard for people everywhere who work for a living. To them I would point out their great model, Christ their brother, our Lord and God, who is their prophet in every cause that promotes their well being."
December 31, 2010
December 30, 2010
Mary Mother of God
The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
Luke 2:33-35
Mary, Our Mother, understands the sufferings we carry when our children hurt. Let us bring our children to her and ask for her intercession to her Beloved Son Jesus. Her heart was pierced when she heard Simeon's words, as she held her precious baby. She did not understand, but she kept all these things in her heart. Let us unite our sufferings and those of our children with Mary by praying the Memorare.
Mary was petitioned as "Mother of God" at least by the 3rd Century, as is evidenced by the discovery of the Sub Tuum prayer:
This prayer, known in Latin as "Sub tuum Praesidium" and first found in a Greek papyrus, c. 300, is the oldest known prayer to the Virgin.
We turn to you for protection,
Holy Mother of God.
Listen to our prayers
and help us in our needs.
Save us from every danger,
glorious and blessed Virgin.
The "Memorare" is a sixteenth-century version of a fifteenth-century prayer that began "Ad sanctitatis tuae pedes, dulcissima Virgo Maria." Claude Bernard (1588-1641) popularized the idea that the "Memorare" was written by Saint Bernard.
Remember, most loving Virgin Mary,
never was it heard
that anyone who turned to you for help
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
though burdened by my sins,
I run to your protection
for you are my mother.
Mother of the Word of God,
do not despise my words of pleading
but be merciful and hear my prayer.
Amen.
Luke 2:33-35
Mary, Our Mother, understands the sufferings we carry when our children hurt. Let us bring our children to her and ask for her intercession to her Beloved Son Jesus. Her heart was pierced when she heard Simeon's words, as she held her precious baby. She did not understand, but she kept all these things in her heart. Let us unite our sufferings and those of our children with Mary by praying the Memorare.
Mary was petitioned as "Mother of God" at least by the 3rd Century, as is evidenced by the discovery of the Sub Tuum prayer:
This prayer, known in Latin as "Sub tuum Praesidium" and first found in a Greek papyrus, c. 300, is the oldest known prayer to the Virgin.
We turn to you for protection,
Holy Mother of God.
Listen to our prayers
and help us in our needs.
Save us from every danger,
glorious and blessed Virgin.
The "Memorare" is a sixteenth-century version of a fifteenth-century prayer that began "Ad sanctitatis tuae pedes, dulcissima Virgo Maria." Claude Bernard (1588-1641) popularized the idea that the "Memorare" was written by Saint Bernard.
Remember, most loving Virgin Mary,
never was it heard
that anyone who turned to you for help
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
though burdened by my sins,
I run to your protection
for you are my mother.
Mother of the Word of God,
do not despise my words of pleading
but be merciful and hear my prayer.
Amen.
December 29, 2010
God's sign is the baby
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
God’s sign is simplicity. God’s sign is the baby. God’s sign is that he makes himself small for us. This is how he reigns. He does not come with power and outward splendor. He comes as a baby, defenseless and in need of our help. He does not want to overwhelm us with his strength. He takes away our fear of his greatness. He asks for our love: so he makes himself a child. He wants nothing other from us than our love, through which we spontaneously learn to enter into His feelings, His thoughts and His Will. We learn to live with Him and to practice with Him that humility of renunciation that belongs to the very essence of love.
Pope Benedict XVI Homily Saint Peter's Basilica December 24, 2006
Revelation 3:7-8 The holy one, the true, who holds the key of David, who opens and no one shall close, who closes and no one shall open, says this: I know your works behold, I have left an open door before you, which no one can close.
Jesus is love. He opens the door for us to enter into His love. Let us pray for open hearts that we may enter through the door the way He came into the world, as a little baby with Joseph and Mary as His models of holiness.
God’s sign is simplicity. God’s sign is the baby. God’s sign is that he makes himself small for us. This is how he reigns. He does not come with power and outward splendor. He comes as a baby, defenseless and in need of our help. He does not want to overwhelm us with his strength. He takes away our fear of his greatness. He asks for our love: so he makes himself a child. He wants nothing other from us than our love, through which we spontaneously learn to enter into His feelings, His thoughts and His Will. We learn to live with Him and to practice with Him that humility of renunciation that belongs to the very essence of love.
Pope Benedict XVI Homily Saint Peter's Basilica December 24, 2006
Revelation 3:7-8 The holy one, the true, who holds the key of David, who opens and no one shall close, who closes and no one shall open, says this: I know your works behold, I have left an open door before you, which no one can close.
Jesus is love. He opens the door for us to enter into His love. Let us pray for open hearts that we may enter through the door the way He came into the world, as a little baby with Joseph and Mary as His models of holiness.
December 28, 2010
The Holy Innocents
Today is the Feast Day of the Holy Innocents, the patron saints of babies. These innocent children were slain for Jesus Christ.
Herod, king of Judea, was unpopular with his people because of his connections with the Romans and his religious indifference. He was insecure and fearful of any threat to his throne. He was a master politician and a tyrant capable of extreme brutality. He killed his wife, his brother and his sister’s two husbands, to name only a few.
Matthew 2:12-18
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son." When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: "A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more." Herod was “greatly troubled” when astrologers from the east came asking the whereabouts of “the newborn king of the Jews,” whose star they had seen. They were told that the Jewish Scriptures named Bethlehem as the place where the Messiah would be born. Herod cunningly told them to report back to him so that he could also “do him homage.” They found Jesus, offered him their gifts and, warned by an angel, avoided Herod on their way home. Jesus escaped to Egypt.
Herod became furious and ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under. The horror of the massacre and the devastation of the mothers and fathers led Matthew to quote Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children...” Matthew 2:18. Rachel was the wife of Jacob. She is pictured as weeping at the place where the Israelites were herded together by the conquering Assyrians for their march into captivity.
They have been ransomed as the firstfruits of the human race for God and the Lamb. Revelation 14:4
The Holy Innocents are few, in comparison to the genocide of abortion today. The greatest treasure God put on the earth is a human person, destined for eternity and graced by Jesus’ death and resurrection. Lord, you give us life. We pray that all life will be protected, in Your Holy Name.
1 John 1:5 Now this is the message that we have heard from him and proclaim to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.
Herod, king of Judea, was unpopular with his people because of his connections with the Romans and his religious indifference. He was insecure and fearful of any threat to his throne. He was a master politician and a tyrant capable of extreme brutality. He killed his wife, his brother and his sister’s two husbands, to name only a few.
Matthew 2:12-18
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son." When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: "A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more." Herod was “greatly troubled” when astrologers from the east came asking the whereabouts of “the newborn king of the Jews,” whose star they had seen. They were told that the Jewish Scriptures named Bethlehem as the place where the Messiah would be born. Herod cunningly told them to report back to him so that he could also “do him homage.” They found Jesus, offered him their gifts and, warned by an angel, avoided Herod on their way home. Jesus escaped to Egypt.
Herod became furious and ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under. The horror of the massacre and the devastation of the mothers and fathers led Matthew to quote Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children...” Matthew 2:18. Rachel was the wife of Jacob. She is pictured as weeping at the place where the Israelites were herded together by the conquering Assyrians for their march into captivity.
They have been ransomed as the firstfruits of the human race for God and the Lamb. Revelation 14:4
The Holy Innocents are few, in comparison to the genocide of abortion today. The greatest treasure God put on the earth is a human person, destined for eternity and graced by Jesus’ death and resurrection. Lord, you give us life. We pray that all life will be protected, in Your Holy Name.
1 John 1:5 Now this is the message that we have heard from him and proclaim to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.
December 26, 2010
The Holy Family
Today is the feast day to honor the Holy Family, the name given to the family unit of Jesus: The Divine Son of God Jesus, his mother Mary, and his foster father Joseph. The Feast of the Holy Family is not just about the Holy Family, but about our own families too. The main purpose of the Feast is to present the Holy Family as the model for all Christian families, and for domestic life in general. Our family life becomes sanctified when we live the life of the Church within our homes. This is called the "domestic church" or the "church in miniature." St. John Chrysostom urged all Christians to make each home a "family church," and in doing so, we sanctify the family unit by making Christ and his Church the center of family and individual life by reading scripture regularly, praying daily, attending Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation and imitating the actions of the Holy Family, all done together as a family unit.
"May the Holy Family, who had to overcome many painful trials, watch over all the families in the world, especially those who are experiencing difficult situations. May the Holy Family also help men and women of culture and political leaders so that they may defend the institution of the family, based on marriage, and so that they may sustain the family as it confronts the grave challenges of the modern age! During this Year of the Eucharist may Christian families find the light and strength to be united and to grow as the 'domestic church' especially in their diligent participation in the celebration of the Eucharist on Sunday."
Pope John Paul II Prayer from Angelus Message for the Feast of the Holy Family 2004
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church 533-534
The hidden life at Nazareth allows everyone to enter into fellowship with Jesus by the most ordinary events of daily life:
The home of Nazareth is the school where we begin to understand the life of Jesus - the school of the Gospel. First, then, a lesson of silence. May esteem for silence, that admirable and indispensable condition of mind, revive in us. . . A lesson on family life. May Nazareth teach us what family life is, its communion of love, its austere and simple beauty, and its sacred and inviolable character... A lesson of work. Nazareth, home of the "Carpenter's Son", in you I would choose to understand and proclaim the severe and redeeming law of human work. . . To conclude, I want to greet all the workers of the world, holding up to them their great pattern their brother who is God.
The finding of Jesus in the temple is the only event that breaks the silence of the Gospels about the hidden years of Jesus. Here Jesus lets us catch a glimpse of the mystery of his total consecration to a mission that flows from his divine sonship: "Did you not know that I must be about my Father's work?" Mary and Joseph did not understand these words, but they accepted them in faith. Mary "kept all these things in her heart" during the years Jesus remained hidden in the silence of an ordinary life.
1 John 3:1-2 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
December 25, 2010
Silent Night
For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. Luke 2:11
For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:5
For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:5
December 24, 2010
What child is this?
Luke 2:4-20
And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."
When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.
And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."
When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.
December 23, 2010
The Heart of Mary
The Virgin’s love conceived first in her heart and then in her womb. Saint Augustine stated this when commenting on the Gospel of the Annunciation: “The angel announces; the Virgin listens, believes and conceives. Christ is believed and conceived through faith. The Virgin Mary first conceived in her heart, and then fruitfulness came to the Mother’s Womb”.
A promise of love can only be fulfilled in love! The sign that God chose to give humanity to reveal the promise of his presence in history, as John Paul II taught us, found its full meaning in the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word. The sign was a virgin’s heart, receiving with love the Heart of God who is Love. A Virgin’s love will conceive, a Virgin’s heart will receive the fullness of life and give birth to the Life of the World!
“Therefore, the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel” Isaiah 7:14
A Virgin, a pure and humble heart, dedicated totally to loving God, completely available and generously disposed to His designs, was the one to cooperate, with her fiat, in the fulfillment of the plan of salvation. In the Virgin’s undivided, prayerful, generous and pure human heart a miraculous conception, a miraculous fecundity, took place. A love so pure, so total, and so unconditional became so powerfully life-giving. The pure, immaculate love of a human heart was the soil, the perfect soil, to bear the child and thus, to be the sign of the presence of God among men. This is the great sign promised by Isaiah: love, pure, unconditional love is so powerful that it gives life. Only love creates, said St. Maximilian Kolbe, because love is the force, the powerful force, that calls forth life.
A promise of love can only be fulfilled in love! The sign that God chose to give humanity to reveal the promise of his presence in history, as John Paul II taught us, found its full meaning in the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word. The sign was a virgin’s heart, receiving with love the Heart of God who is Love. A Virgin’s love will conceive, a Virgin’s heart will receive the fullness of life and give birth to the Life of the World!
“Therefore, the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel” Isaiah 7:14
A Virgin, a pure and humble heart, dedicated totally to loving God, completely available and generously disposed to His designs, was the one to cooperate, with her fiat, in the fulfillment of the plan of salvation. In the Virgin’s undivided, prayerful, generous and pure human heart a miraculous conception, a miraculous fecundity, took place. A love so pure, so total, and so unconditional became so powerfully life-giving. The pure, immaculate love of a human heart was the soil, the perfect soil, to bear the child and thus, to be the sign of the presence of God among men. This is the great sign promised by Isaiah: love, pure, unconditional love is so powerful that it gives life. Only love creates, said St. Maximilian Kolbe, because love is the force, the powerful force, that calls forth life.
December 20, 2010
Joseph and Mary
Behold the virgin shall bear a Son and they shall name Him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us."
December 19, 2010
Joseph Model of Faith
In Luke’s Gospel, there was an angelic Annunciation to Mary. In the first chapter of Matthew, we learn that Joseph gets one too. He was named after the greatest dreamer of the Old Testament. Maybe that’s why his annunciation came in a dream. Mary’s response is her great faith. When told the unbelievable, she believed. Joseph also responded with great faith. He was also told the unbelievable and he believed. His response of faith entailed taking action. He changed his plans, received Mary into his home, and accepted responsibility for this special child. All Joseph had to go by was what he received from an angel, in a dream. Joseph is a great model of faith because he keeps walking with the Lord, even in the dark.
Matthew 1:18-25
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.
May we always walk with the faith of Joseph and Mary and place our trust in God Our Heavenly Father, seeking to do His Will.
Matthew 1:18-25
Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.
May we always walk with the faith of Joseph and Mary and place our trust in God Our Heavenly Father, seeking to do His Will.
December 17, 2010
O Jesus we trust in You.
FROM ABUNDANT LIFE TO ETERNAL LIFE
May the Angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs greet you at your arrival and lead you into the holy city, Jerusalem. May the choir of Angels greet you and like Lazarus, who once was a poor man, may you have eternal rest.
On this day, as my friend Pattie and her husband Billy are laid to rest, we pray:
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your Holy Will, which is Love and Mercy itself.
Prayer at the end of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Through the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, we pray for complete healing of body, mind and spirit of their children DeeDee and Billy. We implore through the intercession of Father Patrick Peyton CSC, for this miracle. May the love of Jesus and Mary be poured into their hearts.
Isaiah 11:6 "A child shall lead them."
May the Angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs greet you at your arrival and lead you into the holy city, Jerusalem. May the choir of Angels greet you and like Lazarus, who once was a poor man, may you have eternal rest.
On this day, as my friend Pattie and her husband Billy are laid to rest, we pray:
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your Holy Will, which is Love and Mercy itself.
Prayer at the end of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Through the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, we pray for complete healing of body, mind and spirit of their children DeeDee and Billy. We implore through the intercession of Father Patrick Peyton CSC, for this miracle. May the love of Jesus and Mary be poured into their hearts.
Isaiah 11:6 "A child shall lead them."
December 14, 2010
St. John of the Cross
"To be taken with love for a soul, God does not look on its greatness, but the greatness of its humility."
Saint John of the Cross
Today is the feast day of Saint John of the Cross, Spanish mystical Doctor of the Church, Carmelite friar and priest who was born in Spain in 1542. John learned the importance of self-sacrificing love from his parents. His father gave up wealth, status, and comfort when he married a weaver's daughter and was disowned by his noble family. After his father died, his mother kept the destitute family together as they wandered homeless in search of work. These were the examples of sacrifice that John followed with his own great love, God.
When the family finally found work, John still went hungry in the middle of the wealthiest city in Spain. At fourteen, John took a job caring for hospital patients who suffered from incurable diseases and madness. It was out of this poverty and suffering, that John learned to search for beauty and happiness not in the world, but in God.
After John joined the Carmelite order, Saint Teresa of Avila asked him to help her reform movement. John supported her belief that the order should return to its life of prayer. But many Carmelites felt threatened by this reform, and some members of John's own order kidnapped him. He was locked in a cell six feet by ten feet and beaten three times a week by the monks. There was only one tiny window high up near the ceiling. Yet in that unbearable dark, cold, and desolation, his love and faith were like fire and light. He had nothing left but God and God brought John his greatest joys in that tiny cell.
“In tribulation immediately draw near to God with confidence, and you will receive strength, enlightenment, and instruction.” Saint John of the Cross
After nine months, John escaped by unscrewing the lock on his door and creeping past the guard. Taking only the mystical poetry he had written in his cell, he climbed out a window using a rope made of strips of blankets. With no idea where he was, he followed a dog to civilization. He hid from pursuers in a convent infirmary where he read his poetry to the nuns. From then on his life was devoted to sharing and explaining his experience of God's love.
"Mine are the heavens and mine is the earth; mine are the people, the righteous are mine and mine are the sinners; the angels are mine and the Mother of God, and all things are mine; and God Himself is mine and for me, for Christ is mine and all for me. What then do you ask for and seek, my soul? Yours is all this, and it is all for you." Saint John of the Cross
His life of poverty and persecution could have produced a bitter cynic. Instead it gave birth to a compassionate mystic, who lived by the beliefs that:
"Who has ever seen people persuaded to love God by harshness? Where there is no love, put love and you will find love."
Saint John of the Cross
Today is the feast day of Saint John of the Cross, Spanish mystical Doctor of the Church, Carmelite friar and priest who was born in Spain in 1542. John learned the importance of self-sacrificing love from his parents. His father gave up wealth, status, and comfort when he married a weaver's daughter and was disowned by his noble family. After his father died, his mother kept the destitute family together as they wandered homeless in search of work. These were the examples of sacrifice that John followed with his own great love, God.
When the family finally found work, John still went hungry in the middle of the wealthiest city in Spain. At fourteen, John took a job caring for hospital patients who suffered from incurable diseases and madness. It was out of this poverty and suffering, that John learned to search for beauty and happiness not in the world, but in God.
After John joined the Carmelite order, Saint Teresa of Avila asked him to help her reform movement. John supported her belief that the order should return to its life of prayer. But many Carmelites felt threatened by this reform, and some members of John's own order kidnapped him. He was locked in a cell six feet by ten feet and beaten three times a week by the monks. There was only one tiny window high up near the ceiling. Yet in that unbearable dark, cold, and desolation, his love and faith were like fire and light. He had nothing left but God and God brought John his greatest joys in that tiny cell.
“In tribulation immediately draw near to God with confidence, and you will receive strength, enlightenment, and instruction.” Saint John of the Cross
After nine months, John escaped by unscrewing the lock on his door and creeping past the guard. Taking only the mystical poetry he had written in his cell, he climbed out a window using a rope made of strips of blankets. With no idea where he was, he followed a dog to civilization. He hid from pursuers in a convent infirmary where he read his poetry to the nuns. From then on his life was devoted to sharing and explaining his experience of God's love.
"Mine are the heavens and mine is the earth; mine are the people, the righteous are mine and mine are the sinners; the angels are mine and the Mother of God, and all things are mine; and God Himself is mine and for me, for Christ is mine and all for me. What then do you ask for and seek, my soul? Yours is all this, and it is all for you." Saint John of the Cross
His life of poverty and persecution could have produced a bitter cynic. Instead it gave birth to a compassionate mystic, who lived by the beliefs that:
"Who has ever seen people persuaded to love God by harshness? Where there is no love, put love and you will find love."
December 13, 2010
The Family Rosary
Patrick Peyton grew up in a poor rural area of Ireland but with great zeal, he brought millions of people closer to Jesus and Mary through the Family Rosary. Born on January 9, 1909, in Caracastle, County Mayo, Ireland, Patrick was the sixth of nine children in a family where often there were more people than potatoes to feed them but every night without fail his father would lead the family in praying the Holy Rosary. This kept them spiritually nourished and united in difficult times.
One moving encounter with his father was later recounted by Father Peyton when speaking to huge gatherings. In Ireland there was what was known as an "American Wake", when a member of the family set out for America to find work. Pat and his brother Tom found themselves in this situation in 1928. The last words his father shared with him on this occasion were: "Be faithful to Our Lord in America." Pat would strive to do just that. He and Tom were never saw their parents again.
The brothers arrived in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where some of their sisters already lived. Tom worked in the coal mines while Pat accepted a job with the cathedral parish as a "sexton" or janitor. This gave him time to pray before the Eucharist, which revived his feeling of being called to the priesthood.
Pat and Tom presented themselves to the Holy Cross priests who came to preach a mission in the parish. Each proclaimed that he had a vocation to the priesthood. They entered the seminary at the University of Notre Dame, where Pat was delighted to study much harder at an institution named for Our Lady. Pat was an excellent theology student, once he received the remedial help he needed completing high school. They were studying at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., when disaster struck.
Pat became deathly ill with tuberculosis. He was throwing up blood and getting weaker daily. He was transferred back to the Notre Dame infirmary. The illness had developed for nearly a year when doctors told Pat: "You had better try prayer. All that we have tried is not working!" Pat was at his worst when a fellow Irishman, Fr. Cornelius Haggerty, C.S.C, came to give him a real challenge. "Mary is alive right here and now, Pat. You know how dedicated the Irish are to the Rosary. Well, pray it yourself, believing that Mary is alive and able to give you 100 percent of what you ask".
Pat prayed his Rosary more fervently than ever and the impossible happened. After a novena of Rosaries, Pat declared himself cured! It was December 8, 1939, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The doctors needed persuading to give him the tests that would prove him right: there was no trace of tuberculosis! Pat was thrilled as he returned to his studies, determined that if he was ordained a priest, he would dedicate his priesthood to the work of the one who saved his life: Mary.
The blessed day came in June 1940 when he was ordained with his class. His illness had set him back, While praying, it came to Father Peyton how he would repay Our Lady for this miraculous healing. He would promote the Family Rosary all around the U.S.A. Father Peyton saw much to do as "Mary's donkey", as he referred to himself. He was persuasive and focused. His energy was boundless. He wrote to Bishops and anyone he could think of to help him promote the "Family Rosary", which he founded in 1942, always speaking with great affection of Mary's intercessory power and giving the story of his own healing as an example. Father Peyton started leading the Rosary on radio, trusting that Mary would guide him. He became known as the "Rosary priest" encouraging people to strengthen their family by praying the rosary.
He opened Family Theater Productions in Hollywood. He knew Bing Crosby and Loretta Young, who said of him, "I never met a man so in love with a woman as Father Peyton was in love with the Blessed Mother". He promoted family prayer, and the famous slogan, "The family that prays together stays together", was written in 1947 for the program. In 1948 he began to organize huge Rosary rallies, called Family Rosary Crusades.
The mission of the Servant of God, Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C. was drawing people closer to Jesus and Mary through the Family Rosary and his gratitude to Our Lady for preserving his life and priesthood. He spoke of nothing but the Blessed Mother, her Rosary, and the work of the Family Rosary and Family Theater Productions.
Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton,C.S.C., pray for us.
One moving encounter with his father was later recounted by Father Peyton when speaking to huge gatherings. In Ireland there was what was known as an "American Wake", when a member of the family set out for America to find work. Pat and his brother Tom found themselves in this situation in 1928. The last words his father shared with him on this occasion were: "Be faithful to Our Lord in America." Pat would strive to do just that. He and Tom were never saw their parents again.
The brothers arrived in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where some of their sisters already lived. Tom worked in the coal mines while Pat accepted a job with the cathedral parish as a "sexton" or janitor. This gave him time to pray before the Eucharist, which revived his feeling of being called to the priesthood.
Pat and Tom presented themselves to the Holy Cross priests who came to preach a mission in the parish. Each proclaimed that he had a vocation to the priesthood. They entered the seminary at the University of Notre Dame, where Pat was delighted to study much harder at an institution named for Our Lady. Pat was an excellent theology student, once he received the remedial help he needed completing high school. They were studying at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., when disaster struck.
Pat became deathly ill with tuberculosis. He was throwing up blood and getting weaker daily. He was transferred back to the Notre Dame infirmary. The illness had developed for nearly a year when doctors told Pat: "You had better try prayer. All that we have tried is not working!" Pat was at his worst when a fellow Irishman, Fr. Cornelius Haggerty, C.S.C, came to give him a real challenge. "Mary is alive right here and now, Pat. You know how dedicated the Irish are to the Rosary. Well, pray it yourself, believing that Mary is alive and able to give you 100 percent of what you ask".
Pat prayed his Rosary more fervently than ever and the impossible happened. After a novena of Rosaries, Pat declared himself cured! It was December 8, 1939, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The doctors needed persuading to give him the tests that would prove him right: there was no trace of tuberculosis! Pat was thrilled as he returned to his studies, determined that if he was ordained a priest, he would dedicate his priesthood to the work of the one who saved his life: Mary.
The blessed day came in June 1940 when he was ordained with his class. His illness had set him back, While praying, it came to Father Peyton how he would repay Our Lady for this miraculous healing. He would promote the Family Rosary all around the U.S.A. Father Peyton saw much to do as "Mary's donkey", as he referred to himself. He was persuasive and focused. His energy was boundless. He wrote to Bishops and anyone he could think of to help him promote the "Family Rosary", which he founded in 1942, always speaking with great affection of Mary's intercessory power and giving the story of his own healing as an example. Father Peyton started leading the Rosary on radio, trusting that Mary would guide him. He became known as the "Rosary priest" encouraging people to strengthen their family by praying the rosary.
He opened Family Theater Productions in Hollywood. He knew Bing Crosby and Loretta Young, who said of him, "I never met a man so in love with a woman as Father Peyton was in love with the Blessed Mother". He promoted family prayer, and the famous slogan, "The family that prays together stays together", was written in 1947 for the program. In 1948 he began to organize huge Rosary rallies, called Family Rosary Crusades.
The mission of the Servant of God, Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C. was drawing people closer to Jesus and Mary through the Family Rosary and his gratitude to Our Lady for preserving his life and priesthood. He spoke of nothing but the Blessed Mother, her Rosary, and the work of the Family Rosary and Family Theater Productions.
Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton,C.S.C., pray for us.
December 12, 2010
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Patroness of the Unborn
Today is the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. A poor Indian Juan Diego was a 57-year-old widower who lived in a small village near Mexico City. On Saturday morning, December 9, 1531, he was on his way to attend Mass in honor of Our Lady. He was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared and within it a young Native American maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady spoke to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico, a Franciscan named Juan de Zumarraga. The bishop was to build a chapel in the place where the lady appeared.
The bishop told Juan Diego to have the lady give him a sign. About this same time Juan Diego’s uncle became seriously ill. Poor Diego was to try to avoid the lady. The lady found Diego and assured him that his uncle would recover and she provided roses for Juan to carry to the bishop in his cape or tilma. Juan Diego told his story to the Spanish bishop, who instructed him to return and ask the Lady for a miraculous sign to prove her claim. The Virgin told Juan Diego to gather some flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill. It was winter and no flowers bloomed, but on the hilltop Diego found flowers of every sort, and the Virgin herself arranged them in his tilma, or peasant cloak. When Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence, the roses fell to the ground and the bishop sank to his knees. On Juan Diego’s tilma appeared an image of Mary miraculously imprinted exactly as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac. It was December 12, 1531.
Mary's apparition was an event of great significance for Native Americans. Nine million Indians became Catholic in a very short time. Our Lady of Guadalupe shows us God's love for the poor and for the unborn that stems from the Gospel itself.
Mary to Juan Diego: “My dearest son, I am the eternal Virgin Mary, Mother of the true God, Author of Life, Creator of all and Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth...and it is my desire that a church be built here in this place for me, where, as your most merciful Mother and that of all your people, I may show my loving clemency and the compassion that I bear to the Indians, and to those who love and seek me.”
The Image on the Tilma
The imprint of Mary on the tilma is striking, and the symbolism was primarily directed to Juan Diego and the Aztecs. Mary appears as a beautiful young Indian maiden with a look of love, compassion, and humility, her hands folded in prayer in reference to the Almighty God. Her rose dress, adorned with a jasmine flower, eight petal flowers, and nine heart flowers symbolic to the Aztec culture, is that of an Aztec princess. Her blue mantle symbolized the royalty of the gods, and the blue color symbolized life and unity. The stars on the mantle signified the beginning of a new civilization. La Morenita appeared on the day of the winter solstice, considered the day of the sun's birth; the Virgin's mantle accurately represents the 1531 winter solstice! Mary stands in front of and hides the sun, but the rays of the sun still appear around her, signifying she is greater than the sun god, the greatest of the native divinities, but the rays of the sun still bring light. Twelve rays of the sun surround her face and head. She stands on the moon, supported by an angel with wings like an eagle: to the Aztec, this indicated her superiority to the moon god, the god of night, and her divine, regal nature. Most important are the black maternity band, a jasmine flower, and a cross that are present in the image. Mary wore a black maternity band, signifying she was with child. At the center of the picture, overlying her womb, is a jasmine flower in the shape of an Indian cross, which is the sign of the Divine and the center of the cosmic order to the Aztec. This symbol indicated that the baby Mary carried within her, Jesus Christ, the Word made Flesh, is Divine and the new center of the universe. On the brooch around her neck was a black Christian cross, indicating she is both a bearer and follower of Christ, the Son of God, our Savior, who died on the Cross to save mankind. The image signified Mary bringing her Son Christ to the New World through one of their own.
Mary to Juan Diego: Am I not here, who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the fountain of your joy?
Today is the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. A poor Indian Juan Diego was a 57-year-old widower who lived in a small village near Mexico City. On Saturday morning, December 9, 1531, he was on his way to attend Mass in honor of Our Lady. He was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared and within it a young Native American maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady spoke to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico, a Franciscan named Juan de Zumarraga. The bishop was to build a chapel in the place where the lady appeared.
The bishop told Juan Diego to have the lady give him a sign. About this same time Juan Diego’s uncle became seriously ill. Poor Diego was to try to avoid the lady. The lady found Diego and assured him that his uncle would recover and she provided roses for Juan to carry to the bishop in his cape or tilma. Juan Diego told his story to the Spanish bishop, who instructed him to return and ask the Lady for a miraculous sign to prove her claim. The Virgin told Juan Diego to gather some flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill. It was winter and no flowers bloomed, but on the hilltop Diego found flowers of every sort, and the Virgin herself arranged them in his tilma, or peasant cloak. When Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence, the roses fell to the ground and the bishop sank to his knees. On Juan Diego’s tilma appeared an image of Mary miraculously imprinted exactly as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac. It was December 12, 1531.
Mary's apparition was an event of great significance for Native Americans. Nine million Indians became Catholic in a very short time. Our Lady of Guadalupe shows us God's love for the poor and for the unborn that stems from the Gospel itself.
Mary to Juan Diego: “My dearest son, I am the eternal Virgin Mary, Mother of the true God, Author of Life, Creator of all and Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth...and it is my desire that a church be built here in this place for me, where, as your most merciful Mother and that of all your people, I may show my loving clemency and the compassion that I bear to the Indians, and to those who love and seek me.”
The Image on the Tilma
The imprint of Mary on the tilma is striking, and the symbolism was primarily directed to Juan Diego and the Aztecs. Mary appears as a beautiful young Indian maiden with a look of love, compassion, and humility, her hands folded in prayer in reference to the Almighty God. Her rose dress, adorned with a jasmine flower, eight petal flowers, and nine heart flowers symbolic to the Aztec culture, is that of an Aztec princess. Her blue mantle symbolized the royalty of the gods, and the blue color symbolized life and unity. The stars on the mantle signified the beginning of a new civilization. La Morenita appeared on the day of the winter solstice, considered the day of the sun's birth; the Virgin's mantle accurately represents the 1531 winter solstice! Mary stands in front of and hides the sun, but the rays of the sun still appear around her, signifying she is greater than the sun god, the greatest of the native divinities, but the rays of the sun still bring light. Twelve rays of the sun surround her face and head. She stands on the moon, supported by an angel with wings like an eagle: to the Aztec, this indicated her superiority to the moon god, the god of night, and her divine, regal nature. Most important are the black maternity band, a jasmine flower, and a cross that are present in the image. Mary wore a black maternity band, signifying she was with child. At the center of the picture, overlying her womb, is a jasmine flower in the shape of an Indian cross, which is the sign of the Divine and the center of the cosmic order to the Aztec. This symbol indicated that the baby Mary carried within her, Jesus Christ, the Word made Flesh, is Divine and the new center of the universe. On the brooch around her neck was a black Christian cross, indicating she is both a bearer and follower of Christ, the Son of God, our Savior, who died on the Cross to save mankind. The image signified Mary bringing her Son Christ to the New World through one of their own.
Mary to Juan Diego: Am I not here, who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the fountain of your joy?
December 09, 2010
Saint Juan Diego
On December 9, 1531, Our Lady appeared to Juan Diego at Tepeyac, which is near Mexico City today. She sent him to request of Bishop Zumárraga the building of a shrine there, where she promised to pour out her grace upon those who invoked her. The bishop asked Juan Diego to present proof of the apparition. On December 12, Our Lady sent Juan Diego to gather roses atop the hill at Tepeyac. Despite the cold of winter, he found roses in bloom and gathered them within his cloak, or tilma. Our Lady arranged the roses and sent them with Juan Diego to the bishop as proof. Opening his tilma, the roses fell to the ground and there remained impressed upon the tilma the image of Our Lady, the apparition at Tepeyac. With the grace of enlightenment, Juan Diego dedicated himself to prayer as well as the practice of virtue and boundless love of God and neighbor.
Prayer to St. Juan Diego
You who were chosen by Our Lady of Guadalupe as an instrument to show your people and the world that the way of Christianity is one of love, compassion, understanding, values, sacrifices, repentance of our sins, appreciation and respect for God’s creation, and most of all one of humility and obedience; You whom we know is now in the Kingdom of the Lord and close to our Mother; Be our angel and protect us, stay with us as we struggle in this modern life often not knowing where to set our priorities; Help us to pray to our God to obtain the gifts of the Holy Spirit and use them for the good of humanity and the good of our Church, through the Heart of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Heart of Jesus. Amen
Prayer to St. Juan Diego
You who were chosen by Our Lady of Guadalupe as an instrument to show your people and the world that the way of Christianity is one of love, compassion, understanding, values, sacrifices, repentance of our sins, appreciation and respect for God’s creation, and most of all one of humility and obedience; You whom we know is now in the Kingdom of the Lord and close to our Mother; Be our angel and protect us, stay with us as we struggle in this modern life often not knowing where to set our priorities; Help us to pray to our God to obtain the gifts of the Holy Spirit and use them for the good of humanity and the good of our Church, through the Heart of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Heart of Jesus. Amen
December 08, 2010
The Immaculate Conception
IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY FRIEND PATTIE
AND HER BEAUTIFUL DEVOTION TO OUR LADY
May the Angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs greet you at your arrival and lead you into the holy city, Jerusalem. May the choir of Angels greet you and like Lazarus, who once was a poor man, may you have eternal rest.
Mary, the one who is "full of grace" and the one whom "all generations will called 'blessed'" has been viewed as unique since the earliest days of the Christian faith. Just as Christ has been called the "new Adam," the Church Fathers, especially Saints Justin in 150AD and Irenaeus 180AD, saw Mary as the "new Eve," who humbly obeyed God, even though Eve disobeyed. The Church Fathers also called Mary the "new ark of the covenant" and theotokos, God-bearer. It is from these titles that the doctrine of Mary's Immaculate Conception and sinlessness unfolded. Saint Ephrem, the Syrian, in 373AD spoke of Mary as without stain or blemish, calling her "all-pure, all-immaculate, all-stainless, all-undefiled, all-incorrupt, all-inviolate." Saint Augustine left open the possibility of Mary's sinlessness, even using language similar to the Catholic dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with the elect. Wisdom 3:9
O MARY CONCEIVED WITHOUT SIN,
PRAY FOR US WHO HAVE RECOURSE TO THEE.
AND HER BEAUTIFUL DEVOTION TO OUR LADY
May the Angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs greet you at your arrival and lead you into the holy city, Jerusalem. May the choir of Angels greet you and like Lazarus, who once was a poor man, may you have eternal rest.
Mary, the one who is "full of grace" and the one whom "all generations will called 'blessed'" has been viewed as unique since the earliest days of the Christian faith. Just as Christ has been called the "new Adam," the Church Fathers, especially Saints Justin in 150AD and Irenaeus 180AD, saw Mary as the "new Eve," who humbly obeyed God, even though Eve disobeyed. The Church Fathers also called Mary the "new ark of the covenant" and theotokos, God-bearer. It is from these titles that the doctrine of Mary's Immaculate Conception and sinlessness unfolded. Saint Ephrem, the Syrian, in 373AD spoke of Mary as without stain or blemish, calling her "all-pure, all-immaculate, all-stainless, all-undefiled, all-incorrupt, all-inviolate." Saint Augustine left open the possibility of Mary's sinlessness, even using language similar to the Catholic dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with the elect. Wisdom 3:9
O MARY CONCEIVED WITHOUT SIN,
PRAY FOR US WHO HAVE RECOURSE TO THEE.
December 04, 2010
Prepare ye the way of the Lord
A voice cries out in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight His paths. Isaiah 40:3
John the Baptist was a voice crying out in the desert proclaiming repentance as the the way of hope to the afflicted and those lost in the wilderness of darkness and sin. John was the messenger who led the people to Jesus.
Pondering John the Baptist brings us to Mary, the mother of Our Savior. Introducing Redemptoris Mater, his encyclical devoted to the Blessed Mother, Pope John Paul II wrote, "The Mother of the Redeemer has a precise place in the plan of salvation, for when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father! Galatians 4:4-6. This is the meaning of Advent. God initiates; Mary responds. God offers; mankind receives. This is the way of love and faith."
Mary is unique in her perfection and holiness. She is a mother for everyone. She draws us near her to reveal her Son to the Church and to the entire world. It is fitting to reflect on the four weeks of Advent by contemplating the past, present, and future in our lives with Jesus.
Mary is perfectly prepared for the coming of God. She is young, poor, and unassuming. By God's grace and her free choice, she became the Mother of God.
Pope John Paul II described Mary as "the one who in the ‘night’ of the Advent expectation began to shine like a true ‘Morning Star'. For just as this star, together with the ‘dawn,’ precedes the rising of the sun, so Mary from the time of her Immaculate Conception preceded the coming of the Savior, the rising of the ‘Sun of Justice’ in the history of the human race".
John the Baptist was a voice crying out in the desert proclaiming repentance as the the way of hope to the afflicted and those lost in the wilderness of darkness and sin. John was the messenger who led the people to Jesus.
Pondering John the Baptist brings us to Mary, the mother of Our Savior. Introducing Redemptoris Mater, his encyclical devoted to the Blessed Mother, Pope John Paul II wrote, "The Mother of the Redeemer has a precise place in the plan of salvation, for when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father! Galatians 4:4-6. This is the meaning of Advent. God initiates; Mary responds. God offers; mankind receives. This is the way of love and faith."
Mary is unique in her perfection and holiness. She is a mother for everyone. She draws us near her to reveal her Son to the Church and to the entire world. It is fitting to reflect on the four weeks of Advent by contemplating the past, present, and future in our lives with Jesus.
Mary is perfectly prepared for the coming of God. She is young, poor, and unassuming. By God's grace and her free choice, she became the Mother of God.
Pope John Paul II described Mary as "the one who in the ‘night’ of the Advent expectation began to shine like a true ‘Morning Star'. For just as this star, together with the ‘dawn,’ precedes the rising of the sun, so Mary from the time of her Immaculate Conception preceded the coming of the Savior, the rising of the ‘Sun of Justice’ in the history of the human race".
November 30, 2010
Saint Andrew, Apostle and Martyr
Today is the feast day of Saint Andrew the Apostle. As Our Blessed Mother Mary always leads us to Jesus, Saint Andrew brought others to Jesus.
Andrew told his brother Simon: We have found the Messiah, the Christ; and he brought him to Jesus. John 1:41-42
When Jesus called Andrew and his brother Simon Peter, he said to them, Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19 They immediately dropped their fishing nets and followed him. Let us say Yes to Jesus the way Andrew, Simon and Our Blessed Mother Mary did. Let us call on their intercession in our need.
A novena is normally a nine day prayer, the term is sometimes used for any prayer that is repeated over a series of days. This prayer is often called the "Christmas Novena" or the "Christmas Anticipation Prayer," because it is prayed 15 times every day from the Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle until Christmas. The first Sunday of Advent is the Sunday closest to the Feast of Saint Andrew.
The novena is not actually addressed to Saint Andrew but to God Himself, asking Him to grant our request in the honor of the birth of His Son at Christmas. You can say the prayer all 15 times, all at once; or divide up the recitation as necessary, perhaps five times at each meal. Prayed as a family, the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena is a very good way to help focus the attention of your children on the Advent season.
Saint Andrew Christmas Novena
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.
Saint Andrew, you gave your life for Jesus. Help us offer our lives to Him in all we do and in all we say.
Andrew told his brother Simon: We have found the Messiah, the Christ; and he brought him to Jesus. John 1:41-42
When Jesus called Andrew and his brother Simon Peter, he said to them, Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19 They immediately dropped their fishing nets and followed him. Let us say Yes to Jesus the way Andrew, Simon and Our Blessed Mother Mary did. Let us call on their intercession in our need.
A novena is normally a nine day prayer, the term is sometimes used for any prayer that is repeated over a series of days. This prayer is often called the "Christmas Novena" or the "Christmas Anticipation Prayer," because it is prayed 15 times every day from the Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle until Christmas. The first Sunday of Advent is the Sunday closest to the Feast of Saint Andrew.
The novena is not actually addressed to Saint Andrew but to God Himself, asking Him to grant our request in the honor of the birth of His Son at Christmas. You can say the prayer all 15 times, all at once; or divide up the recitation as necessary, perhaps five times at each meal. Prayed as a family, the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena is a very good way to help focus the attention of your children on the Advent season.
Saint Andrew Christmas Novena
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.
Saint Andrew, you gave your life for Jesus. Help us offer our lives to Him in all we do and in all we say.
November 25, 2010
Thanks be to Jesus and Mary
On this Thanksgiving Day, we offer Mass for YOU, prayer partners
of this ministry. We give thanks for all your prayers for the
babies and little ones. We never know how our prayers are used.
The Lord takes our prayers and little offerings and places them
where they are needed.
O give thanks to the Lord for He is good;
His love endures forever. Psalm 136:1
Our Blessed Virgin Mary offered her life and gave her Fiat through
her obedience and humble service. This is true worship of God,
surrendering to His Will. In heaven, she leads a song of eternal
praise, like incense raising up to God.
Listen, my faithful children: open up your petals,
like roses planted near running waters;
send up the sweet odor of incense,
break forth in blossoms like the lily.
Send up the sweet odor of your hymn of praise;
bless the Lord for all He has done!
Sirach 39:13-14
of this ministry. We give thanks for all your prayers for the
babies and little ones. We never know how our prayers are used.
The Lord takes our prayers and little offerings and places them
where they are needed.
O give thanks to the Lord for He is good;
His love endures forever. Psalm 136:1
Our Blessed Virgin Mary offered her life and gave her Fiat through
her obedience and humble service. This is true worship of God,
surrendering to His Will. In heaven, she leads a song of eternal
praise, like incense raising up to God.
Listen, my faithful children: open up your petals,
like roses planted near running waters;
send up the sweet odor of incense,
break forth in blossoms like the lily.
Send up the sweet odor of your hymn of praise;
bless the Lord for all He has done!
Sirach 39:13-14
November 16, 2010
Saint Gertrude
Today is the feast day of Saint Gertrude. She has given us "Our Lady of the Sacred Heart" and devotion to Our Lady under this beautiful title. We honor Our Lady when thank her by the Heart of Jesus; we ask her for graces and we ask God to pardon our sins through those titles dearest to her heart; by invoking her as Sovereign of the Heart of Jesus, we invoke her as the Queen of love and of mercy, who cannot resist being generous to us. What greater praise or bountiful thanks could we offer to Mary than those of the Heart of Jesus!
On one of Our Lady's feasts, Saint Gertrude chanted the office of our heavenly Queen, uniting herself to the Heart of Jesus. And while she did this, she saw Him draw to that Divine Heart, the praises expressed in the Psalms, and they flowed, unto the Blessed Virgin, His Mother.
At the antiphon, "Thou art all fair," Gertrude strove to "sing these sweet words by the very Heart of Jesus, in memory of the loving, childlike praises He must have bestowed upon her in similar terms, during His mortal life. At this, stars of great brilliancy, symbolizing these praises, issued from the Heart of Jesus, and shed their luster on Our Lady. Some fell here and there upon the ground, and were collected by the citizens of Heaven, who presented them to Jesus with signs of inexpressible joy and admiration, Gertrude understood from this that the praises given to Our Lady by the Heart of Jesus are a source of unutterable glory and happiness to the Saints."
Prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great
This prayer was dictated by Our Lord, to release 1000 souls from purgatory each time it is said.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son Jesus Christ, in union with the most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, said throughout the world today, for all the holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home, and within my family.
On one of Our Lady's feasts, Saint Gertrude chanted the office of our heavenly Queen, uniting herself to the Heart of Jesus. And while she did this, she saw Him draw to that Divine Heart, the praises expressed in the Psalms, and they flowed, unto the Blessed Virgin, His Mother.
At the antiphon, "Thou art all fair," Gertrude strove to "sing these sweet words by the very Heart of Jesus, in memory of the loving, childlike praises He must have bestowed upon her in similar terms, during His mortal life. At this, stars of great brilliancy, symbolizing these praises, issued from the Heart of Jesus, and shed their luster on Our Lady. Some fell here and there upon the ground, and were collected by the citizens of Heaven, who presented them to Jesus with signs of inexpressible joy and admiration, Gertrude understood from this that the praises given to Our Lady by the Heart of Jesus are a source of unutterable glory and happiness to the Saints."
Prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great
This prayer was dictated by Our Lord, to release 1000 souls from purgatory each time it is said.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son Jesus Christ, in union with the most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, said throughout the world today, for all the holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home, and within my family.
November 15, 2010
The Memorare
The author of the Memorare is unknown. It has been traditionally attributed to the abbott Saint Bernard of Clairvaux from the 12th century. It was also championed by another Bernard, the French priest Claude Bernard, who used it extensively in his ministry to the poor and to prisoners, including some hardened criminals in the 17th century. Claude Bernard credited reciting the Memorare with curing him of a serious illness. He had 200,000 copies of the prayer printed up and distributed in leaflets in various languages during his lifetime. This was no small feat in the 17th century.
Church teaching holds that Mary is the Mother of the Church and our mother as well “in the order of grace.” Catechism of the Catholic Church(CCC 969) Upon her death and assumption into heaven, “God chose her to be the treasurer, the administrator and the dispenser of all his graces, so that all his graces and gifts pass through her hands,” according to Saint Louis De Montfort, the 18th century French priest who wrote, The Secret of the Rosary" and "True Devotion to Mary."
Mary’s wonderful role in assisting in our salvation has been praised by many Saints and Church fathers over the centuries. Saint Lawrence Justinian referred to the Blessed Mother as “the ladder of paradise, the gate of heaven, the most true mediatrix between God and man.” Saint Louis De Montfort wrote that by asking Mary to approach Him for us “we are practicing humility, something which always gladdens the heart of God!” Saint Francis de Sales wrote that “God so loves humility that He instantly hastens to the soul in which he sees it.”
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word. Luke 1:28-38. Giving her consent to God's Word, Mary became the Mother of Jesus. She gave herself entirely to the person and to the work of her Son to serve the mystery of redemption. Saint Irenaeus, Early Church Father and Doctor of the Church, wrote of Mary as the new Eve in his writings, Against Heresies, "Being obedient she became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race...The knot of Eve's disobedience was untied by Mary's obedience: what the virgin Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith." Comparing her with Eve, Mary is the Mother of the living. Death through Eve, Life through Mary.
When we pray to Mary, we pray through her to her Divine Son, Jesus. She is happy to pray for us and to intercede with Him on our behalf. In the Hail Mary, we ask for her to “pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.” When Our Lord said to Saint John when He was on the cross “Behold Thy Mother” John 19:27, His mother became our Mother. Let us ask our Blessed Mother for her assistance for these babies and little ones by praying the Memorare each day and by meditating on the lives of Jesus and Mary by praying the Most Holy Rosary.
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
Church teaching holds that Mary is the Mother of the Church and our mother as well “in the order of grace.” Catechism of the Catholic Church(CCC 969) Upon her death and assumption into heaven, “God chose her to be the treasurer, the administrator and the dispenser of all his graces, so that all his graces and gifts pass through her hands,” according to Saint Louis De Montfort, the 18th century French priest who wrote, The Secret of the Rosary" and "True Devotion to Mary."
Mary’s wonderful role in assisting in our salvation has been praised by many Saints and Church fathers over the centuries. Saint Lawrence Justinian referred to the Blessed Mother as “the ladder of paradise, the gate of heaven, the most true mediatrix between God and man.” Saint Louis De Montfort wrote that by asking Mary to approach Him for us “we are practicing humility, something which always gladdens the heart of God!” Saint Francis de Sales wrote that “God so loves humility that He instantly hastens to the soul in which he sees it.”
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word. Luke 1:28-38. Giving her consent to God's Word, Mary became the Mother of Jesus. She gave herself entirely to the person and to the work of her Son to serve the mystery of redemption. Saint Irenaeus, Early Church Father and Doctor of the Church, wrote of Mary as the new Eve in his writings, Against Heresies, "Being obedient she became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race...The knot of Eve's disobedience was untied by Mary's obedience: what the virgin Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith." Comparing her with Eve, Mary is the Mother of the living. Death through Eve, Life through Mary.
When we pray to Mary, we pray through her to her Divine Son, Jesus. She is happy to pray for us and to intercede with Him on our behalf. In the Hail Mary, we ask for her to “pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.” When Our Lord said to Saint John when He was on the cross “Behold Thy Mother” John 19:27, His mother became our Mother. Let us ask our Blessed Mother for her assistance for these babies and little ones by praying the Memorare each day and by meditating on the lives of Jesus and Mary by praying the Most Holy Rosary.
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
November 12, 2010
Chosen Lady
2 John 4-6
Chosen Lady: Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son in truth and love. I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth just as we were commanded by the Father. But now, Lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing a new commandment but the one we have had from the beginning: let us love one another. For this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning, in which you should walk.
Chosen Lady: Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son in truth and love. I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth just as we were commanded by the Father. But now, Lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing a new commandment but the one we have had from the beginning: let us love one another. For this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning, in which you should walk.
November 11, 2010
In Honor of Our Veterans
Blessed Mother Mary, protect our veterans and their families, especially their children. Bring comfort and peace to those who have lost loved ones defending our country. We are honored to have Mary as the patron saint of America because she is the most powerful intercessor. By a decree from the First Council of Baltimore, Mary in her Immaculate Conception, was elected as our principal Patron. A patron is one who has been assigned, or in this case, chosen by election, as a special intercessor before God.
St Louis de Montfort, in his renowned manuscript True Devotion to Mary, boldly suggests that Christ is weak in front of his Mother. It’s as if he can’t say “No” to her! The Catechism of the Catholic Church (969) states that the Blessed Virgin is invoked under the title Mediatrix of all grace. While no creature measures up to the one and only Redeemer, we profess that Mary cooperates in a unique way in her Son’s redemptive mission. She knows what is best for her children and so intercedes for us before the very source of all grace, Jesus Christ.
America, our country is truly blessed; God, through the powerful intercession of Mary, the Immaculate Conception, has shed His grace on America. May He continue to do so from sea to shining sea!
Let us reflect and remember all those who have served our country, past and present.
Prayer by Susan Helene Kramer
"You gave for peace with courage
That families may be free
So children could grow strong
And safe they'd ever be.
In giving for the sake of peace
You may have suffered loss
Your body may still show its wounds
From taking up the cause.
May remembrance of your time away
Your sacrifice for peace
Spur us on to strive more strongly
For freedom, that there'll be release.
From causes that sent some away
To fight that we may freely live
With gratefulness we thank you,
Veterans, for all you gave and give!"
In tribute to a special Vietnam veteran,
Popi, grandfather of Norah and Lily Grace.
November 09, 2010
54 Day Rosary Novena
On March 3, 1884, Our Lady of Pompeii appeared before the gravely ill daughter of an Italian military officer. Through her, Our Lady gave the world the miraculous devotion of the 54 day Rosary Novena. For over a year, Fortuna Agrelli had been in great distress and near death. So serious was her illness that it was considered hopeless by the most celebrated physicians. In desperation, on February 16th, the afflicted girl and her family began a novena of Rosaries.
One evening two weeks later, the Queen of the Holy Rosary appeared to Fortuna. Sitting upon a high throne, surrounded by luminous figures, Our Lady was holding the Divine Child on her lap and a Rosary in her hand. Both were arrayed in golden garments and were accompanied by Saint Dominic and Saint Catherine of Siena.
Our Lady said, "Child, your faith has pleased me. Whoever desires to obtain favours from me should make three Novenas of the prayers of the Rosary, and three Novenas in thanksgiving."
Obedient to Our Lady's invitation, Fortuna and her family completed the Novenas, 3 nine day novenas, 27 days each. The young girl was restored to perfect health and her family showered with many blessings.
The Devotion of the Miraculous Rosary Novena
To complete one Novena, pray the rosary for 27 days of Petition to obtain the favor and 27 days in Thanksgiving. This makes a total of 54 days. Whether the prayer intention has been received or not after the first 27 days, pray the rosary for 27 days in Thanksgiving.
On September 17th, I began a 54 day Rosary Novena for a number of special intentions. When I began, I did not count out the days. To my surprise and delight, Day 27 was October 13th, the day of the last apparition to the children in Fatima, where the Blessed Mother said to the children,
"I am the Lady of the Rosary."
When I counted out the second 27 days, my 54 day Rosary Novena ended today. November 9th is a very special day, the birthday of Lily Grace. She is the precious baby who is the reason this baby prayer ministry began. So many prayers were offered for her! Today she is a beautiful, little 4 year old! I think the significance of the dates of my Rosary Novena were a little sign from Our Lady of the Rosary, to whom this baby prayer ministry is dedicated.
One evening two weeks later, the Queen of the Holy Rosary appeared to Fortuna. Sitting upon a high throne, surrounded by luminous figures, Our Lady was holding the Divine Child on her lap and a Rosary in her hand. Both were arrayed in golden garments and were accompanied by Saint Dominic and Saint Catherine of Siena.
Our Lady said, "Child, your faith has pleased me. Whoever desires to obtain favours from me should make three Novenas of the prayers of the Rosary, and three Novenas in thanksgiving."
Obedient to Our Lady's invitation, Fortuna and her family completed the Novenas, 3 nine day novenas, 27 days each. The young girl was restored to perfect health and her family showered with many blessings.
The Devotion of the Miraculous Rosary Novena
To complete one Novena, pray the rosary for 27 days of Petition to obtain the favor and 27 days in Thanksgiving. This makes a total of 54 days. Whether the prayer intention has been received or not after the first 27 days, pray the rosary for 27 days in Thanksgiving.
On September 17th, I began a 54 day Rosary Novena for a number of special intentions. When I began, I did not count out the days. To my surprise and delight, Day 27 was October 13th, the day of the last apparition to the children in Fatima, where the Blessed Mother said to the children,
"I am the Lady of the Rosary."
When I counted out the second 27 days, my 54 day Rosary Novena ended today. November 9th is a very special day, the birthday of Lily Grace. She is the precious baby who is the reason this baby prayer ministry began. So many prayers were offered for her! Today she is a beautiful, little 4 year old! I think the significance of the dates of my Rosary Novena were a little sign from Our Lady of the Rosary, to whom this baby prayer ministry is dedicated.
November 07, 2010
Saint Joseph Protector of the Family
God chose Saint Joseph to be the Head of the Holy Family. He watched over and protected Jesus and Mary while they were on earth. Joseph was a man of faith, obedient to whatever God asked of him without knowing the outcome. When the angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him the truth about the child Mary was carrying, Joseph immediately and without question or concern, took Mary as his wife. When the angel came again to tell him that his family was in danger, he immediately left everything and fled to a strange country with his young wife and baby. He waited in Egypt without question until the angel told him it was safe to go back.
Saint Joseph is a model for all fathers and protector of families.
Prayer To Saint Joseph
O St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the Throne of God, I place in thee all my interests and desires. O St. Joseph do assist me by thy powerful intercession and obtain for me from thy Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that having engaged here below thy Heavenly power I may offer my Thanksgiving and Homage to the Loving of Fathers. O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating thee and Jesus asleep in thy arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near thy heart. Press him to my name and kiss His fine Head for me, and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen
Say for nine consecutive mornings for anything you may desire. It has seldom been known to fail.
Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, obtain for us pure, humble,and loving minds and hearts. May we always seek God's Divine Will. Be our guide, our father, and our model through life that we may merit to die as you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary.
Saint Joseph is a model for all fathers and protector of families.
Prayer To Saint Joseph
O St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the Throne of God, I place in thee all my interests and desires. O St. Joseph do assist me by thy powerful intercession and obtain for me from thy Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that having engaged here below thy Heavenly power I may offer my Thanksgiving and Homage to the Loving of Fathers. O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating thee and Jesus asleep in thy arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near thy heart. Press him to my name and kiss His fine Head for me, and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen
Say for nine consecutive mornings for anything you may desire. It has seldom been known to fail.
Glorious Saint Joseph, spouse of the Immaculate Virgin, obtain for us pure, humble,and loving minds and hearts. May we always seek God's Divine Will. Be our guide, our father, and our model through life that we may merit to die as you did in the arms of Jesus and Mary.
November 05, 2010
To Jesus through Mary
Blessed Mother Mary, hear our prayers and petitions for these babies and little ones. We entrust them to you and ask that you intercede and bring their needs to Jesus. We offer our rosaries and Memorares in His Holy Name.
November 02, 2010
All Souls Day
Today we celebrate All Souls Day. Our Lord dictated the following prayer to Saint Gertrude the Great to release 1,000 Souls from Purgatory each time it is said.
Prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great
"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen."
Saint Gertrude's life was the mystic life of the Cloister, a Benedictine nun. She meditated on the Passion of Christ, which many times brought a flood of tears to her eyes. She did many penances and Our Lord appeared to her many times. She had a tender love for the Blessed Virgin and was very devoted to the suffering souls in Purgatory. She died in 1334. Her feast day is November 16th.
The Holy Souls Will Repay Us A Thousand Times Over
Now who can be in more urgent need of our charity than the souls in Purgatory? What hunger, or thirst, or dire sufferings on Earth can compare to their dreadful torments? Neither the poor, nor the sick, nor the suffering, we see around us, have such an urgent need of our help, yet we find many good-hearted people who interest themselves in every other type of suffering, but few who works for the Holy Souls. Who can have more claim on us? Among them, there may be our mothers and fathers, our friends and near of kin. When they are finally released from their pains and enjoy the beatitude of Heaven, far from forgetting their friends on earth, their gratitude knows no bounds. Prostrate before the Throne of God, they never cease to pray for those who helped them. By their prayers they shield their friends from many dangers and protect them from the evils that threaten them.
The Holy Souls are those who die in God's grace but are still imperfectly purified. By undergoing purification after death in purgatory, they achieve the holiness necessary to enter heaven. May all the Holy Souls through the mercy of God rest in peace.
Prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great
"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen."
Saint Gertrude's life was the mystic life of the Cloister, a Benedictine nun. She meditated on the Passion of Christ, which many times brought a flood of tears to her eyes. She did many penances and Our Lord appeared to her many times. She had a tender love for the Blessed Virgin and was very devoted to the suffering souls in Purgatory. She died in 1334. Her feast day is November 16th.
The Holy Souls Will Repay Us A Thousand Times Over
Now who can be in more urgent need of our charity than the souls in Purgatory? What hunger, or thirst, or dire sufferings on Earth can compare to their dreadful torments? Neither the poor, nor the sick, nor the suffering, we see around us, have such an urgent need of our help, yet we find many good-hearted people who interest themselves in every other type of suffering, but few who works for the Holy Souls. Who can have more claim on us? Among them, there may be our mothers and fathers, our friends and near of kin. When they are finally released from their pains and enjoy the beatitude of Heaven, far from forgetting their friends on earth, their gratitude knows no bounds. Prostrate before the Throne of God, they never cease to pray for those who helped them. By their prayers they shield their friends from many dangers and protect them from the evils that threaten them.
The Holy Souls are those who die in God's grace but are still imperfectly purified. By undergoing purification after death in purgatory, they achieve the holiness necessary to enter heaven. May all the Holy Souls through the mercy of God rest in peace.
November 01, 2010
All Saints Day
Today we honor all the saints. They continually intercede with The Father for us. A saint is a person who reflects the holiness of God by living the virtues in a heroic way and showing boundless charity and total faith in God. The early history of the Church is filled with stories of the heroic faith of these of witnesses to Christ's truth. The stories of these saints, of all ages and all states in life, whose fidelity and courage led to their sanctity or holiness, have provided models for us throughout history.
Many of those especially holy people whose names and stories were known, the Church later canonized or formally recognized that the life of that person was holy, or sanctified. A saint is an example for us. The Church's calendar contains many saint's days, which Catholics observe at Mass, some with special festivities, but there were thousands and thousands of early Christian martyrs, the majority of whose names are known only to God. Throughout the history of the Church, there have been countless others who are saints, who are with God in heaven, even if their names are not on the list of canonized saints.
In order to honor the memory of these unnamed saints and to recall their example, the Church dedicated a special feast day Mass so that we can celebrate the lives and witness of those who have died and gone before us into the presence of the Lord.
Holy Mary, all the angels and all the saints, pray for us.
October 29, 2010
Blessed Chiara Luce Badano
Blessed Chiara Luce Badano was born in Italy on this day in 1971. She died of bone cancer just before her 19th birthday. She witnessed to the world the fact that God's love is stronger than suffering and death. She was a daughter of the Focolare Movement. She had a great love of Jesus Christ, especially by accepting proudly her cross. She is an example of every young person who works for Jesus.
Chiara Badano was an only child, conceived after 11 years of marriage. Her arrival was considered a blessing from Our Lady of the Rocche, to whom her father had pleaded with humble and faithful prayer. Chiara seemed to have everything going for her as a teen. She had a loving, holy family and a solid faith. She was popular among her friends and was liked by boys. She loved nature and was great at tennis, swimming and mountain climbing and had an outgoing personality and adventurous spirit. Chiara had a bright life ahead of her. She was beautiful, and from the beginning, she stood out for her love for Jesus and the Blessed Mary. She was particularly attracted to them and filled her attention and good deeds, often giving up her free time.
One day while playing tennis, Chiara experienced excruciating pain in her shoulder. Shortly afterwards she was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma. She watched her bright future slip away. The real story of her life begins, the story of heroic virtue. Chiara’s joy was explosive and it only increased with her suffering. After one very pain-filled night she said, “I suffered a lot, but my soul was singing.” Pictures of her on her death bed show her eyes look like pools reflecting the glory of heaven. One of her doctors remarked, “Through her smile, and through her eyes full of light, she showed us that death doesn’t exist; only life exists.” Cardinal Saldarini heard of this amazing teen and visited her in the hospital. Awestruck, he said, “The light in your eyes is splendid. Where does it come from?” Chiara’s reply was simple: “I try to love Jesus as much as I can.”
Chiara had a profound sense of redemptive suffering. She often repeated the phrase, “If this is what you want, Jesus, so do I.” Like any teenage girl, she loved her hair, but with each lock that fell out she’d pray, “For you, Jesus.” She frequently refused morphine, saying, “I want to share as much as possible in His suffering on the cross.” Chiara showed love to her family, her friends and the members of the Focolare movement. At Rome's Shrine of Divine Love Sept. 25, Archbishop Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, presided over the beatification of the young Italian who died in 1990.
"Only Love with a capital L gives true happiness. Young people can find in Blessed Badano an example of Christian consistency, because she was certain of God's love and trusted in that love even as she was dying." Pope Benedict XVI
At the beatification Mass, Archbishop Amato called Blessed Badano a missionary of Jesus, "who invites us to rediscover the freshness and enthusiasm of the faith." Even as she lost the use of her legs and was dying, she shared her faith and God's love with the dozens of people who would visit her each day, he said. "Her last gift was her corneas, the only organs that were still transplantable" because they were not damaged by the cancer that had spread throughout her body, the archbishop said. "They were given to two young people who can see today thanks to her."
Blessed Badano's parents, Teresa and Ruggero, attended the beatification Mass. Her mother said that Chiara's religiousness grew gradually and normally. When Chiara got sick, she said, "She taught us how to do God's will, like she did, because you don't just say 'yes' when everything is going well."
After the beatification, about 8,000 young members of the Focolare movement gathered in the Vatican audience hall for a nighttime celebration of Blessed Badano's life with readings and singing. Blessed Badano's parents were joined by 600 of the young people from 42 countries at Pope Benedict's weekly general audience Sept. 29 in Saint Peter's Square. The Italian teen's parents went to thank the pope, but it was Pope Benedict XVI who thanked them for making Blessed Badano's life and witness possible. The Badanos gave the Pope a note their daughter had written in which she entrusted herself to Mary, asking for "the necessary strength to never give up."
"We give praise to God because his love is stronger than evil and death; and we give thanks to the Virgin Mary who leads young people, even in the midst of difficulty and suffering, to fall in love with Jesus and discover the beauty of life." Pope Benedict XVI
Chiara Badano was an only child, conceived after 11 years of marriage. Her arrival was considered a blessing from Our Lady of the Rocche, to whom her father had pleaded with humble and faithful prayer. Chiara seemed to have everything going for her as a teen. She had a loving, holy family and a solid faith. She was popular among her friends and was liked by boys. She loved nature and was great at tennis, swimming and mountain climbing and had an outgoing personality and adventurous spirit. Chiara had a bright life ahead of her. She was beautiful, and from the beginning, she stood out for her love for Jesus and the Blessed Mary. She was particularly attracted to them and filled her attention and good deeds, often giving up her free time.
One day while playing tennis, Chiara experienced excruciating pain in her shoulder. Shortly afterwards she was diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma. She watched her bright future slip away. The real story of her life begins, the story of heroic virtue. Chiara’s joy was explosive and it only increased with her suffering. After one very pain-filled night she said, “I suffered a lot, but my soul was singing.” Pictures of her on her death bed show her eyes look like pools reflecting the glory of heaven. One of her doctors remarked, “Through her smile, and through her eyes full of light, she showed us that death doesn’t exist; only life exists.” Cardinal Saldarini heard of this amazing teen and visited her in the hospital. Awestruck, he said, “The light in your eyes is splendid. Where does it come from?” Chiara’s reply was simple: “I try to love Jesus as much as I can.”
Chiara had a profound sense of redemptive suffering. She often repeated the phrase, “If this is what you want, Jesus, so do I.” Like any teenage girl, she loved her hair, but with each lock that fell out she’d pray, “For you, Jesus.” She frequently refused morphine, saying, “I want to share as much as possible in His suffering on the cross.” Chiara showed love to her family, her friends and the members of the Focolare movement. At Rome's Shrine of Divine Love Sept. 25, Archbishop Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, presided over the beatification of the young Italian who died in 1990.
"Only Love with a capital L gives true happiness. Young people can find in Blessed Badano an example of Christian consistency, because she was certain of God's love and trusted in that love even as she was dying." Pope Benedict XVI
At the beatification Mass, Archbishop Amato called Blessed Badano a missionary of Jesus, "who invites us to rediscover the freshness and enthusiasm of the faith." Even as she lost the use of her legs and was dying, she shared her faith and God's love with the dozens of people who would visit her each day, he said. "Her last gift was her corneas, the only organs that were still transplantable" because they were not damaged by the cancer that had spread throughout her body, the archbishop said. "They were given to two young people who can see today thanks to her."
Blessed Badano's parents, Teresa and Ruggero, attended the beatification Mass. Her mother said that Chiara's religiousness grew gradually and normally. When Chiara got sick, she said, "She taught us how to do God's will, like she did, because you don't just say 'yes' when everything is going well."
After the beatification, about 8,000 young members of the Focolare movement gathered in the Vatican audience hall for a nighttime celebration of Blessed Badano's life with readings and singing. Blessed Badano's parents were joined by 600 of the young people from 42 countries at Pope Benedict's weekly general audience Sept. 29 in Saint Peter's Square. The Italian teen's parents went to thank the pope, but it was Pope Benedict XVI who thanked them for making Blessed Badano's life and witness possible. The Badanos gave the Pope a note their daughter had written in which she entrusted herself to Mary, asking for "the necessary strength to never give up."
"We give praise to God because his love is stronger than evil and death; and we give thanks to the Virgin Mary who leads young people, even in the midst of difficulty and suffering, to fall in love with Jesus and discover the beauty of life." Pope Benedict XVI
October 23, 2010
God's tapestries
Words of Saint Padre Pio
"Listen carefully. There is a mother who is embroidering. Her son sitting on a low stool sees her work, but upside down. He sees the knots of the embroidery, the tangled threads and says, "Mother, what are you doing? Your work is not at all clear." Then the mother lowers the embroidery frame and shows the good part of her work. Each color is in its place and the variety of threads form a harmonious design. We are seeing the reverse side of the embroidery; we are sitting on the low stool."
Human beings are God's tapestries. Psalm 139 is a psalm that reveals God and His Divine attributes. The psalmist did not use God's creation of mountains, seas, or the galaxies. He expressed the wonder of God's unparalleled creative power in the fashioning of the human in the womb.
The Hebrew word used to express God's forming of us in the womb, raqam, is the same term for needlework or embroidery. In other words, we are a tapestry that displays God's artistic mastery. Like the artist who knows his creation down to the last detail, God intimately knows us. This reality provokes the writer to awe and wonder. He proclaims, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." What is true for this psalmist is true for each human being. Each is fashioned by God and known by Him and we can proclaim on behalf of each, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
May the Mother of Jesus, and our Mother, obtain for us from her Son the grace to live a life according to the heart of God, a life that is entirely interior and hidden in Him. May God help us to appreciate the wonder and beauty of His creation. May the knowledge that we are intimately known by God shape our lives and actions.
"Listen carefully. There is a mother who is embroidering. Her son sitting on a low stool sees her work, but upside down. He sees the knots of the embroidery, the tangled threads and says, "Mother, what are you doing? Your work is not at all clear." Then the mother lowers the embroidery frame and shows the good part of her work. Each color is in its place and the variety of threads form a harmonious design. We are seeing the reverse side of the embroidery; we are sitting on the low stool."
Human beings are God's tapestries. Psalm 139 is a psalm that reveals God and His Divine attributes. The psalmist did not use God's creation of mountains, seas, or the galaxies. He expressed the wonder of God's unparalleled creative power in the fashioning of the human in the womb.
The Hebrew word used to express God's forming of us in the womb, raqam, is the same term for needlework or embroidery. In other words, we are a tapestry that displays God's artistic mastery. Like the artist who knows his creation down to the last detail, God intimately knows us. This reality provokes the writer to awe and wonder. He proclaims, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." What is true for this psalmist is true for each human being. Each is fashioned by God and known by Him and we can proclaim on behalf of each, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
May the Mother of Jesus, and our Mother, obtain for us from her Son the grace to live a life according to the heart of God, a life that is entirely interior and hidden in Him. May God help us to appreciate the wonder and beauty of His creation. May the knowledge that we are intimately known by God shape our lives and actions.
October 20, 2010
Saint Paul of the Cross
Devotion to Our Blessed Mother Mary
Today is the feast day of Saint Paul of the Cross. The Passion of Jesus was a the source and center of devotion in the life of St Paul of the Cross. The only devotion that could equal the devotion he had to the Passion was the tender devotion that he had towards our Blessed Lady. He began everything with her blessing. Nearly all his greatest favors were received on her feasts, and he was blessed with many beautiful visions of her glory. The part of her life that had the greatest attraction for him was her sufferings at the foot of the Cross.
Paul knew that his devotion to the Passion of Jesus would not be complete without its counterpart: devotion to the sorrows of the Blessed Virgin. His thoughts nearly always brought him to Mount Calvary; and who can ascend this mountain of bitterness without giving a thought to Her who stands transfixed with grief at the foot of the Cross? At times he would say, "Whoever goes to our crucified Lord will find His Mother with Him...where the Son is, there is the Mother." And in explaining the words of Jeremiah, "Great as the sea is thy sorrow."
He used to say:
"The sorrow of Mary is like the Mediterranean Sea, from which one passes into the boundless ocean of the Passion of our Lord."
He would often add:
"The soul can always become rich by fishing for the pearls of the virtues of Jesus and Mary."
Today is the feast day of Saint Paul of the Cross. The Passion of Jesus was a the source and center of devotion in the life of St Paul of the Cross. The only devotion that could equal the devotion he had to the Passion was the tender devotion that he had towards our Blessed Lady. He began everything with her blessing. Nearly all his greatest favors were received on her feasts, and he was blessed with many beautiful visions of her glory. The part of her life that had the greatest attraction for him was her sufferings at the foot of the Cross.
Paul knew that his devotion to the Passion of Jesus would not be complete without its counterpart: devotion to the sorrows of the Blessed Virgin. His thoughts nearly always brought him to Mount Calvary; and who can ascend this mountain of bitterness without giving a thought to Her who stands transfixed with grief at the foot of the Cross? At times he would say, "Whoever goes to our crucified Lord will find His Mother with Him...where the Son is, there is the Mother." And in explaining the words of Jeremiah, "Great as the sea is thy sorrow."
He used to say:
"The sorrow of Mary is like the Mediterranean Sea, from which one passes into the boundless ocean of the Passion of our Lord."
He would often add:
"The soul can always become rich by fishing for the pearls of the virtues of Jesus and Mary."
October 18, 2010
Our Lady of Czestochowa
Today is the feast day of Saint Luke the Evangelist. He is well known as the writer of one of the four books of the Gospels. It is less known that he was a painter. Legend attributes the painting of Our Lady of Czestochowa to St. Luke, the Evangelist. He painted a portrait Our Lady of Czestochowa on the cedar wood table at which she had taken her meals. Saint Helena, the Queen-Mother of Emperor Constantine was said to have located the portrait during her visit to the Holy Land and to have brought it to Constantinople in the fourth century. After remaining there for five centuries, it was transferred in royal dowries until it made its way to Poland, and the possession of Saint Ladislaus in the fifteenth century.
The legend continues: During Ladislaus' time, the image was damaged during a siege, by a Tartar arrow, "inflicting a scar on the throat of the Blessed Virgin." In 1430, Hussites stole and vandalized the precious image, breaking it into three pieces. Adding insult to injury, one of the robbers drew his sword, struck the image and inflicted two deep gashes. While preparing to inflict a third gash, he fell to the ground and writhed in agony until his death. The two slashes on the cheek of the Blessed Virgin, together with the previous injury to the throat, have always reappeared, despite repeated attempts to repair them. Many miracles were worked by Our Lady of Czestochowa. In more recent times, the Czestochowa Madonna has also been acknowledged for her protection of and cooperation with the Polish nation. Pope John Paul II of Poland had a personal devotion and prayed often before her.
Saint Luke and Our Lady of Czestochowa, pray for us.
The legend continues: During Ladislaus' time, the image was damaged during a siege, by a Tartar arrow, "inflicting a scar on the throat of the Blessed Virgin." In 1430, Hussites stole and vandalized the precious image, breaking it into three pieces. Adding insult to injury, one of the robbers drew his sword, struck the image and inflicted two deep gashes. While preparing to inflict a third gash, he fell to the ground and writhed in agony until his death. The two slashes on the cheek of the Blessed Virgin, together with the previous injury to the throat, have always reappeared, despite repeated attempts to repair them. Many miracles were worked by Our Lady of Czestochowa. In more recent times, the Czestochowa Madonna has also been acknowledged for her protection of and cooperation with the Polish nation. Pope John Paul II of Poland had a personal devotion and prayed often before her.
Saint Luke and Our Lady of Czestochowa, pray for us.
October 17, 2010
Saints Mary MacKillop and André Bessette
Today Pope Benedict XVI celebrated a Mass of Canonization for Blessed Mary of the Cross MacKillop (1842-1909) and Blessed André Bessette (1845-1937).
At the age of 24, Blessed Mother Mary MacKillop, along with Father Julian Tenison Woods, founded the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart. In his 1995 beatification homily, Venerable John Paul II preached: "In the vastness of the Australian continent, Blessed Mary MacKillop was not daunted by the great desert, the immense expanses of the outback, nor by the spiritual 'wilderness' which affected so many of her fellow citizens. Rather she boldly prepared the way of the Lord in the most trying situations. With gentleness, courage and compassion, she was a herald of the Good News among the isolated 'battlers' and the urban slum-dwellers. Mother Mary of the Cross knew that behind the ignorance, misery and suffering which she encountered there were people, men and women, young and old, yearning for God and his righteousness. She knew, because she was a true child of her time and place: the daughter of Catholic immigrants from Scotland who had to struggle at all times to build a life for themselves in their new surroundings. Her story reminds us of the need to welcome people, to reach out to the lonely, the bereft, the disadvantaged."
In 1866, she opened a school in a stable and started teaching more than fifty children. In the same year, at age 25, she adopted the religious name Sister Mary of the Cross. In 1867, she became the first sister and mother superior of the newly formed order of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. Dedicated to the education of the children of the poor, it was the first religious order to be founded by an Australian. She had complete confidence in Divine Providence.
Born Alfred Bessette Aug. 9, 1845, in Saint-Gregoire d'Iberville, Quebec, he suffered from a chronic stomach ailment that kept him out of school and often without work. At 25, Blessed Andre could not read and his health was so fragile, he entered the Holy Cross brothers. He was assigned as a Holy Cross brother to be the doorman at Montreal's College of Notre Dame, where the congregation had just opened its novitiate. He once commented, "When I joined this community, the superiors showed me the door." For decades, he served as the doorman. He fulfilled this service with great humility. During his lifetime, numerous cures were attributed to his prayers. His great confidence in Saint Joseph inspired him to recommend this saint's devotion to all those who were afflicted in various ways. On his many visits to the sick in their homes, he would recommend them in prayer to St. Joseph, and would anoint them lightly with oil from the lamp in the college chapel which always burned before the St. Joseph altar. People claimed that they had been cured through the prayers of the good Brother and Saint Joseph, and they were grateful their prayers had been heard. Brother André steadfastly refused to take any credit for these cures. Because he wanted St. Joseph to be honored, in 1904 Bessette began the campaign to erect a chapel to honor the saint. He raised funds for the construction of Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal, a shrine that would in time become Canada’s largest church. Deeply devoted to Saint Joseph, Blessed Bessette founded Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal in Montreal and was known for his intense piety, famed for miraculous cures and praised for his dedication to building the shrine to honor St. Joseph. He died Jan. 6, 1937, at the age of 91.
Saint Mary of the Cross and Saint André Bessette, pray for us.
At the age of 24, Blessed Mother Mary MacKillop, along with Father Julian Tenison Woods, founded the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart. In his 1995 beatification homily, Venerable John Paul II preached: "In the vastness of the Australian continent, Blessed Mary MacKillop was not daunted by the great desert, the immense expanses of the outback, nor by the spiritual 'wilderness' which affected so many of her fellow citizens. Rather she boldly prepared the way of the Lord in the most trying situations. With gentleness, courage and compassion, she was a herald of the Good News among the isolated 'battlers' and the urban slum-dwellers. Mother Mary of the Cross knew that behind the ignorance, misery and suffering which she encountered there were people, men and women, young and old, yearning for God and his righteousness. She knew, because she was a true child of her time and place: the daughter of Catholic immigrants from Scotland who had to struggle at all times to build a life for themselves in their new surroundings. Her story reminds us of the need to welcome people, to reach out to the lonely, the bereft, the disadvantaged."
In 1866, she opened a school in a stable and started teaching more than fifty children. In the same year, at age 25, she adopted the religious name Sister Mary of the Cross. In 1867, she became the first sister and mother superior of the newly formed order of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. Dedicated to the education of the children of the poor, it was the first religious order to be founded by an Australian. She had complete confidence in Divine Providence.
Born Alfred Bessette Aug. 9, 1845, in Saint-Gregoire d'Iberville, Quebec, he suffered from a chronic stomach ailment that kept him out of school and often without work. At 25, Blessed Andre could not read and his health was so fragile, he entered the Holy Cross brothers. He was assigned as a Holy Cross brother to be the doorman at Montreal's College of Notre Dame, where the congregation had just opened its novitiate. He once commented, "When I joined this community, the superiors showed me the door." For decades, he served as the doorman. He fulfilled this service with great humility. During his lifetime, numerous cures were attributed to his prayers. His great confidence in Saint Joseph inspired him to recommend this saint's devotion to all those who were afflicted in various ways. On his many visits to the sick in their homes, he would recommend them in prayer to St. Joseph, and would anoint them lightly with oil from the lamp in the college chapel which always burned before the St. Joseph altar. People claimed that they had been cured through the prayers of the good Brother and Saint Joseph, and they were grateful their prayers had been heard. Brother André steadfastly refused to take any credit for these cures. Because he wanted St. Joseph to be honored, in 1904 Bessette began the campaign to erect a chapel to honor the saint. He raised funds for the construction of Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal, a shrine that would in time become Canada’s largest church. Deeply devoted to Saint Joseph, Blessed Bessette founded Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal in Montreal and was known for his intense piety, famed for miraculous cures and praised for his dedication to building the shrine to honor St. Joseph. He died Jan. 6, 1937, at the age of 91.
Saint Mary of the Cross and Saint André Bessette, pray for us.
October 16, 2010
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
Today is the feast day of Saint Margaret Mary, who was chosen by Christ to arouse the Church to a realization of the love of God symbolized by the heart of Jesus. Her early years were marked by sickness and a painful home situation. "The heaviest of my crosses was that I could do nothing to lighten the cross my mother was suffering." After considering marriage for some time, Margaret entered the Order of Visitation nuns at the age of 24. A Visitation nun was "not to be extraordinary except by being ordinary," but the young nun was not to enjoy this anonymity. A fellow novice termed Margaret humble, simple and frank, but above all kind and patient under sharp criticism and correction. She could not meditate in the formal way expected, though she tried her best to give up her "prayer of simplicity."
After being a nun for three years, she received the first of her revelations from Jesus. She felt "invested" with the presence of God, though always afraid of deceiving herself in such matters. The request of Christ was that his love for humankind be made evident through her. During the next 13 months he appeared to her at intervals. His human heart was to be the symbol of his divine-human love. By her own love she was to make up for the coldness and ingratitude of the world by frequent and loving Holy Communion, especially on the first Friday of each month, and by an hour's vigil of prayer every Thursday night in memory of his agony and isolation in Gethsemane. He also asked that a feast of reparation be instituted.
Like all saints, Margaret had to pay for her gift of holiness. Some of her own sisters were hostile. Theologians who were called in declared her visions delusions. Later, parents of children she taught called her an impostor, an unorthodox innovator. A new confessor, Blessed Claude de la Colombiere, a Jesuit, recognized her genuineness and supported her. Against her great resistance, Christ called her to be a sacrificial victim for the shortcomings of her own sisters, and to make this known. After serving as novice mistress and assistant superior, she died when she was 43 years old while being anointed. She said,
"I need nothing but God, and to lose myself in the heart of Jesus."
Christ spoke to Saint Margaret Mary: "Behold this Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself, in order to testify its love. In return, I receive from the greater part only ingratitude, by their irreverence and sacrileges, and by the coldness and contempt they have for me in this sacrament of love.... I come into the heart I have given you in order that through your fervor you may atone for the offenses which I have received from lukewarm and slothful hearts that dishonor me in the Blessed Sacrament." (Third apparition)
Around the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a crown of thorns. There is a wound, from the soldier's spear, showing that our sins hurt Him in the Heart. The flames coming from His Heart show the intensity of His Love. Above the flames is a cross showing that His Love for us was so great that He died for us. These are the symbols of His passion. We were redeemed by the cross and we will be saved by it.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
After being a nun for three years, she received the first of her revelations from Jesus. She felt "invested" with the presence of God, though always afraid of deceiving herself in such matters. The request of Christ was that his love for humankind be made evident through her. During the next 13 months he appeared to her at intervals. His human heart was to be the symbol of his divine-human love. By her own love she was to make up for the coldness and ingratitude of the world by frequent and loving Holy Communion, especially on the first Friday of each month, and by an hour's vigil of prayer every Thursday night in memory of his agony and isolation in Gethsemane. He also asked that a feast of reparation be instituted.
Like all saints, Margaret had to pay for her gift of holiness. Some of her own sisters were hostile. Theologians who were called in declared her visions delusions. Later, parents of children she taught called her an impostor, an unorthodox innovator. A new confessor, Blessed Claude de la Colombiere, a Jesuit, recognized her genuineness and supported her. Against her great resistance, Christ called her to be a sacrificial victim for the shortcomings of her own sisters, and to make this known. After serving as novice mistress and assistant superior, she died when she was 43 years old while being anointed. She said,
"I need nothing but God, and to lose myself in the heart of Jesus."
Christ spoke to Saint Margaret Mary: "Behold this Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself, in order to testify its love. In return, I receive from the greater part only ingratitude, by their irreverence and sacrileges, and by the coldness and contempt they have for me in this sacrament of love.... I come into the heart I have given you in order that through your fervor you may atone for the offenses which I have received from lukewarm and slothful hearts that dishonor me in the Blessed Sacrament." (Third apparition)
Around the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a crown of thorns. There is a wound, from the soldier's spear, showing that our sins hurt Him in the Heart. The flames coming from His Heart show the intensity of His Love. Above the flames is a cross showing that His Love for us was so great that He died for us. These are the symbols of His passion. We were redeemed by the cross and we will be saved by it.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
October 15, 2010
Saint Teresa of Avila
Saint Teresa of Jesus was born in Avila, Spain in 1515. She was a mystic, contemplative, writer, Carmelite nun and Doctor of the Church. Today we celebrate her feast day. Teresa saw prayer as a garden made for God. She said we are the gardeners and we must tend the plants and water them. God’s job is to pull the weeds so the good seed can grow. She believed there are four ways to water the plants, or four stages of praying. With each stage, we do less and less of the work until we reach a place of perfect union with God where He becomes the Gardener.
Drawing from a Well
The first stage of prayer is like drawing the water from a well because it requires the most effort. Here, those who are just learning how to pray must consciously remove themselves from distractions and engage the mind in meditation. At this stage we are trying to communicate with God with words from our hearts. The goal should be to stay close to God, ask Him to meet our needs, rejoice with Him, and tell Him our troubles. Teresa believed, “This practice of carrying Christ in our consciousness is beneficial at all phases of the spiritual path, especially in the first degrees of prayer.” She encouraged people not to worry if they didn’t “experience” anything during their prayer time, but just to trust in God’s perfect timing. She also warned not to attempt to shut down the mind while praying, but rather yield it completely to God. During this stage it is important to be confident in prayer and not hold back the desires of your heart. It is also helpful to have a spiritual director to offer counsel, although Teresa advised to be very careful whom you choose, as bad counsel can cause much harm.
The Waterwheel
This stage of prayer is also called the Prayer of Quiet. Here, communion with God is not attained through the efforts of the person praying. Only the person’s will is engaged; all other faculties are suspended. At this place, the desire for the mundane things of the world falls away because we realize that nothing can compare to God’s joy while in this state. It’s imperative that we see ourselves as nothing, totally dependent on God. We must allow Him to prune whatever He wants so our gardens can be fully cultivated. The Prayer of Quiet produces contentment, calmness, and joy. To reap its full benefits, the mind must be kept quiet and free of distractions. Intelligence is irrelevant during this contemplative praying; in fact, theological concepts may actually hinder God’s love reaching into the soul. God is the one who begins and ends this state of prayer. It is not of our own will. When He induces it, the soul has no need for producing feelings of unworthiness. God offers true humility, which gives us the sudden awareness that we are nothing. This humility brings about a freedom from self-interest as well as a hunger for spiritual transformation.
Water Flowing through a Stream
In this third stage of prayer, the soul simply wants to rejoice in God’s greatness and glory. It wants only to praise God and have others share in the rejoicing. This is a place of near death to all earthly things. The soul’s faculties are almost completely united with God, yet they are still functioning. Their only power, however, is to completely surrender to God’s will. Words cannot express the joy felt in this state. The person praying reaches a realization that the soul no longer belongs to itself. In this place God can accomplish more in a moment’s time than what could be accomplished after years of intellectual efforts. Teresa expressed to God what she felt in this place of prayer: “This servant of yours can no longer bear the trial of seeing herself without you. All she wants is to be free. She no longer desires to live in herself but only to live in you.” The third stage of prayer is different from the second in that here the soul is more like Mary’s, wanting to be totally still before the Lord. Here, it is like Martha’s, leading an active and contemplative life simultaneously. The person praying can continue with normal tasks but is no longer in charge of himself. In this state of prayer, the soul’s appetite is completely satisfied and doesn’t desire anything else. It is not interested in anything the world has to offer.
Water from the Rain
This fourth state of prayer is also known as the Prayer of Union. In the previous stage, although the soul has died to the things of the world, it is not completely dead because it still has its senses. But in this place of prayer, the senses are so occupied with joy, they are not free to express anything else. The joy found here is much greater than in any of the others stages, yet it is much harder for the soul to express the magnitude of it. Here, the entire soul is drawn into a place of union with God, and all faculties are suspended. God Himself becomes the Gardener in this stage of prayer. Before, the soul was still laboring for the water. But now, God provides all the water for the garden abundantly, and there is no labor on the part of the one who prays. This fourth water is so abundant, it saturates the entire garden. Teresa believed, “This water from heaven often comes when the gardener least expects it. Yet… in the beginning stages of the spiritual path the heavenly rain almost always falls after a long period of contemplative prayer.” From Teresa’s experiences, even though it sometimes seems the soul can remain in this state of union for a long time during the Prayer of Union, it is actually a very short period. In asking God to explain to her what exactly her soul was going through during these times, she believed God told her the following: “The soul utterly dissolves...so that it can fully unite with me...It is no longer the soul that lives, but I.”
Blessings of the Fourth Water
Even after the experience of the Prayer of Union has ended, its effects linger. Teresa noted several blessings that come as a result of being in this state with God. For one, the soul becomes courageous and its boldness initiates many resolutions and promises for God. The person praying also gains a new depth of humility as he realizes he had nothing to do with God uniting him to Himself in this way. Additional blessings include a strong contempt for the things of the world and a clear revelation of God’s great glory. These blessings can be lost, however, if the person praying does not maintain a heart of gratefulness for God’s gifts, thereby allowing her garden to get choked with thorns. The important thing is to not get discouraged and become careless in tending the garden. The person praying should never trust herself to not fall from the heights she has attained in God.
Excerpt from one of her writings, The Interior Castle:
"When once you have learned how to enjoy this Castle, you will always find rest, however painful your trials may be, in the hope of returning to your Lord, which no one can prevent. Although I have only mentioned seven mansions, yet each one contains many more rooms, above, below, and around it, with fair gardens, fountains, and labyrinths, besides other things so delightful that you will wish to consume yourself in praising the great God for them, Who has created the soul in His own image and likeness. If you find anything in the plan of this treatise which helps you to know Him better, be certain that it is sent by His Majesty to encourage you, and whatever you find amiss in it is my own."
In the Interior Castle, she unveils a profound spiritual vision in which the soul is a castle made of a single diamond. The diamond is surrounded by six mansions that the soul must pass through on its journey to the center of the castle and union with God. The six mansions represent Humility, Prayer, Meditation, Quiet, Illumination, and the Dark Night. In each of the mansions readers will experience a deepening desire to know God more intimately by conforming their wills to His will.
Saint Teresa of Avila, pray for us.
Drawing from a Well
The first stage of prayer is like drawing the water from a well because it requires the most effort. Here, those who are just learning how to pray must consciously remove themselves from distractions and engage the mind in meditation. At this stage we are trying to communicate with God with words from our hearts. The goal should be to stay close to God, ask Him to meet our needs, rejoice with Him, and tell Him our troubles. Teresa believed, “This practice of carrying Christ in our consciousness is beneficial at all phases of the spiritual path, especially in the first degrees of prayer.” She encouraged people not to worry if they didn’t “experience” anything during their prayer time, but just to trust in God’s perfect timing. She also warned not to attempt to shut down the mind while praying, but rather yield it completely to God. During this stage it is important to be confident in prayer and not hold back the desires of your heart. It is also helpful to have a spiritual director to offer counsel, although Teresa advised to be very careful whom you choose, as bad counsel can cause much harm.
The Waterwheel
This stage of prayer is also called the Prayer of Quiet. Here, communion with God is not attained through the efforts of the person praying. Only the person’s will is engaged; all other faculties are suspended. At this place, the desire for the mundane things of the world falls away because we realize that nothing can compare to God’s joy while in this state. It’s imperative that we see ourselves as nothing, totally dependent on God. We must allow Him to prune whatever He wants so our gardens can be fully cultivated. The Prayer of Quiet produces contentment, calmness, and joy. To reap its full benefits, the mind must be kept quiet and free of distractions. Intelligence is irrelevant during this contemplative praying; in fact, theological concepts may actually hinder God’s love reaching into the soul. God is the one who begins and ends this state of prayer. It is not of our own will. When He induces it, the soul has no need for producing feelings of unworthiness. God offers true humility, which gives us the sudden awareness that we are nothing. This humility brings about a freedom from self-interest as well as a hunger for spiritual transformation.
Water Flowing through a Stream
In this third stage of prayer, the soul simply wants to rejoice in God’s greatness and glory. It wants only to praise God and have others share in the rejoicing. This is a place of near death to all earthly things. The soul’s faculties are almost completely united with God, yet they are still functioning. Their only power, however, is to completely surrender to God’s will. Words cannot express the joy felt in this state. The person praying reaches a realization that the soul no longer belongs to itself. In this place God can accomplish more in a moment’s time than what could be accomplished after years of intellectual efforts. Teresa expressed to God what she felt in this place of prayer: “This servant of yours can no longer bear the trial of seeing herself without you. All she wants is to be free. She no longer desires to live in herself but only to live in you.” The third stage of prayer is different from the second in that here the soul is more like Mary’s, wanting to be totally still before the Lord. Here, it is like Martha’s, leading an active and contemplative life simultaneously. The person praying can continue with normal tasks but is no longer in charge of himself. In this state of prayer, the soul’s appetite is completely satisfied and doesn’t desire anything else. It is not interested in anything the world has to offer.
Water from the Rain
This fourth state of prayer is also known as the Prayer of Union. In the previous stage, although the soul has died to the things of the world, it is not completely dead because it still has its senses. But in this place of prayer, the senses are so occupied with joy, they are not free to express anything else. The joy found here is much greater than in any of the others stages, yet it is much harder for the soul to express the magnitude of it. Here, the entire soul is drawn into a place of union with God, and all faculties are suspended. God Himself becomes the Gardener in this stage of prayer. Before, the soul was still laboring for the water. But now, God provides all the water for the garden abundantly, and there is no labor on the part of the one who prays. This fourth water is so abundant, it saturates the entire garden. Teresa believed, “This water from heaven often comes when the gardener least expects it. Yet… in the beginning stages of the spiritual path the heavenly rain almost always falls after a long period of contemplative prayer.” From Teresa’s experiences, even though it sometimes seems the soul can remain in this state of union for a long time during the Prayer of Union, it is actually a very short period. In asking God to explain to her what exactly her soul was going through during these times, she believed God told her the following: “The soul utterly dissolves...so that it can fully unite with me...It is no longer the soul that lives, but I.”
Blessings of the Fourth Water
Even after the experience of the Prayer of Union has ended, its effects linger. Teresa noted several blessings that come as a result of being in this state with God. For one, the soul becomes courageous and its boldness initiates many resolutions and promises for God. The person praying also gains a new depth of humility as he realizes he had nothing to do with God uniting him to Himself in this way. Additional blessings include a strong contempt for the things of the world and a clear revelation of God’s great glory. These blessings can be lost, however, if the person praying does not maintain a heart of gratefulness for God’s gifts, thereby allowing her garden to get choked with thorns. The important thing is to not get discouraged and become careless in tending the garden. The person praying should never trust herself to not fall from the heights she has attained in God.
Excerpt from one of her writings, The Interior Castle:
"When once you have learned how to enjoy this Castle, you will always find rest, however painful your trials may be, in the hope of returning to your Lord, which no one can prevent. Although I have only mentioned seven mansions, yet each one contains many more rooms, above, below, and around it, with fair gardens, fountains, and labyrinths, besides other things so delightful that you will wish to consume yourself in praising the great God for them, Who has created the soul in His own image and likeness. If you find anything in the plan of this treatise which helps you to know Him better, be certain that it is sent by His Majesty to encourage you, and whatever you find amiss in it is my own."
In the Interior Castle, she unveils a profound spiritual vision in which the soul is a castle made of a single diamond. The diamond is surrounded by six mansions that the soul must pass through on its journey to the center of the castle and union with God. The six mansions represent Humility, Prayer, Meditation, Quiet, Illumination, and the Dark Night. In each of the mansions readers will experience a deepening desire to know God more intimately by conforming their wills to His will.
Saint Teresa of Avila, pray for us.
October 13, 2010
Our Lady of Fatima - Miracle of the Sun
The Blessed Mother appeared to the children in Fatima from May to October, 1917. The news of Fatima spread more, and people learned that a miracle was to happen. The children began to speak of the miracle which was to happen. On October 13, 1917, seventy to one hundred thousand pilgrims came to the Cova da Iria. It was pouring down rain and everything was very muddy. The children's families were very uncertain and feared that if the miracle did not take place, the people would want to kill the three children.
Once there, moved by an interior impulse, one of the children, Lucia, asked the people to shut their umbrellas and pray a Rosary. Soon after that there was a flash of light, and Our Lady appeared above the oak tree.
Lucia asked: "What do you want of me?"
"I want to tell you that a chapel is to be built here in my honor. I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary every day. The war is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return to their homes."
Lucia said: "I have many things to ask you: the cure of some sick persons, the conversion of sinners, and other things . . . "
"Some yes, but not others. They must amend their lives and ask forgiveness for their sins." Looking very sad, Our Lady said: "Do not offend the Lord our God any more, because He is already so much offended."
Then, opening her hands, she made them reflect onto the sun, and as she ascended, the reflection of her own light continued to be projected on the sun itself.
Lucia cried out to the people to look at the sun. Her aim was not to call their attention to the sun, because she was not even aware of their presence. She was moved to do so under the guidance of an interior impulse.
After Our Lady had disappeared into the distance, Saint Joseph appeared with the Child Jesus and Our Lady was robed in white with a blue mantle, beside the sun. Saint Joseph and the Child Jesus appeared to bless the world, for they traced the Sign of the Cross with their hands. When this apparition disappeared, Our Lord and Our Lady appeared; it seemed that it was Our Lady of Sorrows. Our Lord appeared to bless the world in the same manner as Saint Joseph had done. This apparition also vanished, and Our Lady appeared once more, this time resembling Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, holding the child Jesus in one hand and the brown scapular in the other hand.
The rain stopped and a thick mass of clouds broke. The sun looked like a disc of dull silver, and began dancing wildly. The people shouted out: "MIRACLE!" It seems that the majority of the people saw the sun trembling and dancing, whirling around; it descended almost low enough to burn the earth with its rays. It shone with an intensity never before seen, but was not blinding. This lasted only an instant. Then the immense ball began to "dance". The sun began to spin rapidly like a gigantic circle of fire. Then it stopped momentarily, only to begin spinning again. Its rim became scarlet; whirling, it scattered red flames across the sky. Their light was reflected on the ground, on the trees, on the bushes, and on the very faces and clothing of the people, which took on brilliant hues and changing colors.
After performing a zigzag bizarre pattern three times, the globe of fire seemed to tremble, shake, and then plunge in a zigzag toward the terrified crowd. All this lasted about ten minutes. Finally, the sun zigzagged back to its original place and once again became still and brilliant, shining with its everyday brightness. The cycle of the apparitions had ended. Many people noticed that their clothes, soaking wet from the rain, had suddenly dried. The miracle of the sun was also seen by numerous witnesses up to twenty-five miles away from the place of the apparition. Many thought the end of the world had come, as the sun seemed to fall upon them. People reported color changes in objects on earth, caused by the rays of the sun. Some expressed sorrow for their sins aloud. Some who had come to ridicule now believed.
This was the great miracle of the Sun which Our Lady had performed
"so that all may believe."
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Once there, moved by an interior impulse, one of the children, Lucia, asked the people to shut their umbrellas and pray a Rosary. Soon after that there was a flash of light, and Our Lady appeared above the oak tree.
Lucia asked: "What do you want of me?"
"I want to tell you that a chapel is to be built here in my honor. I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary every day. The war is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return to their homes."
Lucia said: "I have many things to ask you: the cure of some sick persons, the conversion of sinners, and other things . . . "
"Some yes, but not others. They must amend their lives and ask forgiveness for their sins." Looking very sad, Our Lady said: "Do not offend the Lord our God any more, because He is already so much offended."
Then, opening her hands, she made them reflect onto the sun, and as she ascended, the reflection of her own light continued to be projected on the sun itself.
Lucia cried out to the people to look at the sun. Her aim was not to call their attention to the sun, because she was not even aware of their presence. She was moved to do so under the guidance of an interior impulse.
After Our Lady had disappeared into the distance, Saint Joseph appeared with the Child Jesus and Our Lady was robed in white with a blue mantle, beside the sun. Saint Joseph and the Child Jesus appeared to bless the world, for they traced the Sign of the Cross with their hands. When this apparition disappeared, Our Lord and Our Lady appeared; it seemed that it was Our Lady of Sorrows. Our Lord appeared to bless the world in the same manner as Saint Joseph had done. This apparition also vanished, and Our Lady appeared once more, this time resembling Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, holding the child Jesus in one hand and the brown scapular in the other hand.
The rain stopped and a thick mass of clouds broke. The sun looked like a disc of dull silver, and began dancing wildly. The people shouted out: "MIRACLE!" It seems that the majority of the people saw the sun trembling and dancing, whirling around; it descended almost low enough to burn the earth with its rays. It shone with an intensity never before seen, but was not blinding. This lasted only an instant. Then the immense ball began to "dance". The sun began to spin rapidly like a gigantic circle of fire. Then it stopped momentarily, only to begin spinning again. Its rim became scarlet; whirling, it scattered red flames across the sky. Their light was reflected on the ground, on the trees, on the bushes, and on the very faces and clothing of the people, which took on brilliant hues and changing colors.
After performing a zigzag bizarre pattern three times, the globe of fire seemed to tremble, shake, and then plunge in a zigzag toward the terrified crowd. All this lasted about ten minutes. Finally, the sun zigzagged back to its original place and once again became still and brilliant, shining with its everyday brightness. The cycle of the apparitions had ended. Many people noticed that their clothes, soaking wet from the rain, had suddenly dried. The miracle of the sun was also seen by numerous witnesses up to twenty-five miles away from the place of the apparition. Many thought the end of the world had come, as the sun seemed to fall upon them. People reported color changes in objects on earth, caused by the rays of the sun. Some expressed sorrow for their sins aloud. Some who had come to ridicule now believed.
This was the great miracle of the Sun which Our Lady had performed
"so that all may believe."
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
October 12, 2010
"Let the children come to me."
Matthew 19:13-15
Children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After he placed his hands on them, he went away.
REFLECTION by Carmen Pate, 40 Days for Life
I am confounded to see how the battle over the issue of life is perceived more often in churches today as political rather than spiritual. Ironically, the enemy has used this twisted perception to silence many in the body of Christ.
We must see the battle for what it is and if we are to be prepared to face the spiritual enemy on the issue of abortion, we must daily "put on" the armor God has given us, Ephesians 6.
Gird your waist with Truth (verse 14) Commit your emotions to believe truth and to speak truth, regardless of the repercussions.
Put on the breastplate of Righteousness (verse 14) It will protect our hearts, the innermost springs of our beings from all unrighteousness so evident in this fallen world.
Shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. (verse 15) Preparation is vital if we are to be effective in God's work.
Taking the shield of faith (verse 16) The Accuser will instill doubt, fear, and guilt. Faith acts as an invisible shield that deflects such false accusations.
Taking the Helmet of salvation (verse 17) A helmet protects the head, the brain and in turn our mind and thoughts. Satan hopes we will set aside divine revelation for human reasoning.
Taking the sword of the Spirit (verse 17) The Word of God, the only offensive weapon in this armor, was used by the Lord Jesus against Satan. The living Word is powerful and effective.
Our armor is complete. We are ready to wage war, and the next verse tells us how, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit." (verse 18)
Dear Lord, as you lead us into the spiritual battle of abortion may we be reminded that the battle is truly Yours. We thank you for equipping us with Your armor. Lead us daily to put it on! Thank you for allowing us to serve under your command, and for hearing our requests for direction and protection. In a special way, protect all the names on the John 10:10 baby prayer ministry who have been affected by abortion. Thank you for the victory that is ours because of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.
Children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After he placed his hands on them, he went away.
REFLECTION by Carmen Pate, 40 Days for Life
I am confounded to see how the battle over the issue of life is perceived more often in churches today as political rather than spiritual. Ironically, the enemy has used this twisted perception to silence many in the body of Christ.
We must see the battle for what it is and if we are to be prepared to face the spiritual enemy on the issue of abortion, we must daily "put on" the armor God has given us, Ephesians 6.
Gird your waist with Truth (verse 14) Commit your emotions to believe truth and to speak truth, regardless of the repercussions.
Put on the breastplate of Righteousness (verse 14) It will protect our hearts, the innermost springs of our beings from all unrighteousness so evident in this fallen world.
Shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. (verse 15) Preparation is vital if we are to be effective in God's work.
Taking the shield of faith (verse 16) The Accuser will instill doubt, fear, and guilt. Faith acts as an invisible shield that deflects such false accusations.
Taking the Helmet of salvation (verse 17) A helmet protects the head, the brain and in turn our mind and thoughts. Satan hopes we will set aside divine revelation for human reasoning.
Taking the sword of the Spirit (verse 17) The Word of God, the only offensive weapon in this armor, was used by the Lord Jesus against Satan. The living Word is powerful and effective.
Our armor is complete. We are ready to wage war, and the next verse tells us how, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit." (verse 18)
Dear Lord, as you lead us into the spiritual battle of abortion may we be reminded that the battle is truly Yours. We thank you for equipping us with Your armor. Lead us daily to put it on! Thank you for allowing us to serve under your command, and for hearing our requests for direction and protection. In a special way, protect all the names on the John 10:10 baby prayer ministry who have been affected by abortion. Thank you for the victory that is ours because of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.
October 07, 2010
Feast Day of Our Lady of the Rosary
Miracle of the rosary
On Sunday, October 7, 1571, the Christian and Turkish fleets met in Lepanto Gulf, off the coast of Greece. The bitter battle finished with a brilliant victory of the Christians who where vastly outnumbered. That very evening Pope Saint Pius V had at Rome a clear knowledge of this success. The same afternoon, the Confraternities of the Rosary, particularly in Rome, had marched through the streets in procession reciting the Rosary. This victory put an end to the naval power of the Turks and saved Christian Europe. To this day this victory has been attributed to the praying of the Rosary. The feast of “The Most Holy Rosary” is celebrated today, October 7th. The month of October is dedicated to the "Most Holy Rosary."
The Power of the Rosary
The most holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or, above all, spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families, of the families of the world, or of the religious communities, or even of the life of peoples and nations, that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the holy Rosary. With the holy Rosary, we will save ourselves; we will sanctify ourselves; we will console our Lord, and obtain the salvation of many souls. Conversation between Sr. Lucy of Fatima and Fr. Fuentes, Dec. 26, 1957
"The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin…If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors." Pope Pius XI
"Among all the devotions approved by the Church, none has been so favored by so many miracles as the Rosary devotion." Pope Pius IX
"The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying." Pope Leo XIII
"The rosary is a magnificant gift of God to humanity because through this prayer, we attain extraordinary graces. With the rosary in your hand, you will not be discouraged and you will have clarity of mind and extraordinary freedom in your heart." Mother Elvira Petrozzi, Foundress of the Cenacolo Community in Medjugorje, with fifty-six houses in fifteen countries, welcoming the lost and desperate.
Saint Dominic prayed to Our Lady that she would force the devils who possessed a man to reveal the truth about devotion to her. The devils were forced by Our Lady to reveal: "Now that we are forced to speak we must also tell you this: Nobody who perseveres in saying the Rosary will be damned, because she obtains for her servants the grace of true contrition for their sins and by means of this they obtain God's forgiveness and mercy."
The development of the rosary has a long history. First, a practice developed of praying 150 Our Fathers in imitation of the 150 Psalms. Then there was a parallel practice of praying 150 Hail Marys. Soon a mystery of Jesus' life was attached to each Hail Mary. Though Mary's giving the rosary to Sant Dominic is recognized as a legend, the development of this prayer form owes much to the followers of Saint Dominic. One of them, Alan de la Roche, was known as "the apostle of the rosary." He founded the first Confraternity of the Rosary in the 15th century. In the 16th century, the rosary was developed to its present form, with the 15 mysteries: joyful, sorrowful and glorious. In 2002, Pope John Paul II added the Mysteries of Light to this devotion.
The purpose of the rosary is to help us meditate on the great mysteries of our salvation. Pius XII called it a compendium of the Gospel. The main focus is on Jesus, his birth, life, death and resurrection. The Our Fathers remind us that Jesus' Father is the initiator of salvation. The Hail Marys remind us to join with Mary in contemplating these mysteries. They also make us aware that Mary was and is intimately joined with her Son in all the mysteries of his earthly and heavenly existence. The Glorys remind us that the purpose of all life is the glory of the Trinity. The rosary appeals to many. It is simple. The constant repetition of words helps create an atmosphere in which to contemplate the mysteries of God. We sense that Jesus and Mary are with us in the joys and sorrows of life. We grow in hope that God will bring us to share in the glory of Jesus and Mary.
Our Lady of the Rosary, we entrust to you all the babies and names we receive on this baby prayer ministry, John 10:10. Keep them under your protective mantel and always in your loving care.
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